


Her Children

by HurricaneScully



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-10-15 20:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 32,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10557306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HurricaneScully/pseuds/HurricaneScully
Summary: What if Scully ended up with two children that may or may not have been made from her stolen ova. Will she get to keep them? Will Mulder be able to help?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after Scully is cured of her cancer but I'm pretty much changing things from then on. Hope you like it.
> 
> I've changed the rating as I think my story ending may be graphic :-/

Mulder and Scully sat unusually quietly in their basement office. With nothing to do but paper work not many words had passed between the two all day. In fact, not many words had passed between them most of last week either. 

Mulder suspected that there was a reason behind the lack of communication on Scully's part but after having tried three times today to get her into any kind of conversation and only recieving short responses he had given up and joined her in silently filling out forms and reports. 

His heart felt heavy as he filed another expense report. He wished more than anything that Special Agent Dana Scully was able to be open with him. To let him into her heart. They'd been partners for years but she still kept her personal life so tightly under wraps. Her emotions so controlled. 

The clocks constant noise irritated him. It's ticking stabbing into him like a knife. His head pounding with it while he tried resolutely to ignore the distance between him and Scully that seemed to vast to cross. Maybe at lunch he'd talk to her and she'd actually open up. He could only try. The one plus point to the infernal ticking of the clock was that at least he knew that it was near lunch time thanks to it's dull noise. 

Just as it hit 12.45 he decided they had both definitely earned their lunch. He turned in his chair to ask Scully if she wanted to go to their usual deli. Maybe buying her her usual tuna salad would give him enough brownie points that she'd forgive him for whatever he'd to piss her off this time.

His mouth was just about to form the words to ask her when he cast his eyes to her for the first time since silence had fallen in the office. She was crying. Mulder gazed in horror. She was actually crying. Shit. Dana Scully *never* cried or at least she never let anyone see her. She hadn't even really cried in front of him when she had cancer. There she sat though trying her best to stay silent as tears fell from her azure eyes. Her mouth turned downward. Those perfect lips trembling in an effort to keep herself from sobbing openly.

"Scully..." as soon as her name fell from his lips she jolted out of whatever revere she had been in and hastily wiped at her eyes. "Jesus, Scully. What's wrong?" He made to get up and walk towards her but she turned away from him in her chair. Telling him with just her body language, as she often did, that she did not want his pity or questions. Not right now. She wiped angrily at her cheeks. Pulling herself together and taking huge calming lung fulls of air in through her nose and out through her mouth.

"Agent Scully?" A knock came from the open basement door where a blonde woman hovered, looking in for her, with a babies car seat in her hands. The baby in the seat was screaming and Mulder wondered briefly how he hadn't heard the noise as soon as the child had gotten off the lift. Scully whipped around to face the blonde woman, her face wiped clear of the evidence of her very recent tears. "I'm so sorry to bother you but he just won't settle and since its nearly your lunch break I figured I could just bring him down. Is this ok?" She was young and looked extremely stressed and nervous. She set the babies car seat on the floor as she spoke.

"It's fine Pen, honestly." Scully said already rising from her chair. She peaked into the seat which held a very red and very unhappy baby boy. "Hey, baby. What's all this fuss. Come and see me sweetheart" She said smiling at him as she spoke. She unclipped his seat and lifted the little boy to her. The baby seemed instantly soothed at the sound of her voice. His screams dying down to little whimpers. He nuzzled into Scully as she held him tightly making soothing sounds.

"He was fine yesterday. I think he's maybe teething or somethin'. Do you want me to leave him with you?" Pen asked, sounding hopeful. Mulder sat slack jawed staring at the scene. What the hell was going on? The baby boy obviously knew and loved Scully so they had to have a relationship he didnt know about. Scully kissed the babies soft downy hair breathing him in "I can come back down and get him later if you want. I think he just wanted his Mummy" She smiled down at the baby who was now contentedly chewing his fist.

"No, it's fine. I'm going on my lunch break just now anyway. I'll just bring him up after." Scully said to Pen but kept staring lovingly at the baby. "How's Sophie?" She asked in between pretending to eat the little babies chubby hand and making 'nom nom' noises. The baby giggled a bit, delighted at her munching his hand. 

"She's much more settled today. She was playing with another little girl when I left to bring Aaron down." Mulder still sat in his chair staring and taking in every little detail. She looked so happy with Aaron in her arms. Mulder seldom saw his partner so content. It was beautiful and a complete shift from the crying she had been doing less than five minutes ago. 

"That's brilliant. Im glad she seems to be making friends. I'll bring him up after lunch" Scully smiled at the woman and she nodded and turned to leave the basement. 

She walked with Aaron back to her seat after picking up a diaper bag Mulder hadn't even noticed. "You were making so much noise, Sweetie. Why don't we sit here and I'll give you your bottle. Were you're teeth hurting? I bet they were. My poor little baby boy. I'll buy you a nice teething ring on our way home, yes I will." She said giving big smiles to the boy who was sucking even harder in his fist. "We won't ask Mulder to help or he'll have you drunk from rubbing whiskey on your gums. Yes he will. He'll get my baby boy drunk" She fished for the bottle and Mulder saw her spray some of the milk on her arm. She made a mock look of shock and joy to the enraptured baby "Wow. Pen even heated it up for you before you came here. You're such a lucky little boy. Now I don't have to wonder how I'll do it in the basement. No, I don't" She cooed as she put the bottle in the babies mouth and he sucked greedily. She turned to Mulder who was still gazing at her. "Umm... I guess... I... we should talk. I think..." She was about to say more when the statue Mulder had become seemed to burst to life.

"What the hell Scully!? Did I just miss you being pregnant? She called *you* his *Mum*. Who is he? Who is Sophie? Is this why you were upset? How long has this..." She cut him by raising the hand that wasn't holding the bottle to Aaron's thirsty lips.

"Listen, Mulder. First of all I need you to try and keep your voice down for Aaron. Second of all..." She trailed off a little. She sighed "Can we just... just talk about it all later?" 

"Later, Scully? Seriously? You've got a baby and you're telling me later?" He practically growled at her trying hard to keep his voice low for Aaron. 

"Yeah... uhh. What about tonight? Sophie should be fast asleep by half seven. Could you come over after that?" She snuggled Aaron deeper into her arms and tipped the bottle up more. He seemed utterly nonplussed at the tension in the room and his eyes started drifting. Scully looked down at him. Mulder could feel the love she felt for this baby coming off her in waves. Her deep blue eyes took on a look of sheer bliss he'd never seen on her before. It was all she'd ever wanted. How could he feel anger towards her when she looked like this. He felt himself falling even more in love with her, if that was at all possible. 

"Scully, I..." 

"Please, Mulder. Just come over tonight. I need to just... I need to know that it's all ok right now. Please" Her eyes misted over with tears again and he knew he could deny her nothing. Especially not when she looked like that. He'd wait. He'd find out tonight. That would be good enough.

"Ok. I'll come over" He said and her face instantly brightened


	2. Chapter 2

Mulder tentatively knocked on Scully's apartment door. She had left right after Aaron had fallen asleep, his bottle resting at his chin. She had made some excuse about getting him home since he wouldn't settle at the FBI daycare if he was teething. She bundled him up in his car seat and left quickly. She never even cast a glace at him as she left saying she would see him tonight.

His heart was pounding as he waited for her to come and open the door. He felt terrified at what might happen. He hoped to God that it wasn't something that would be difficult or upsetting for her. He was pretty sure it had to be though for what else could cause her to cry at work? He had spent all afternoon running ideas over and over in his head but none of them seemed to fit. 

Scully answered the door with a screaming baby in her arms. She looked more stressed than Mulder had ever seen her. She still wore her work clothes but they were definitely more rumpled than they were that afternoon. Her hair was even slightly dishevelled and her girlish freckles were showing perfectly on her make up clear face. He adored it when he could see her freckles! Like stars painted on a creamy ivory canvas. Cinnamon sprinkled into cream. Constellations covering her aculine nose. He often played a game of how many he could see through her foundation and concealer. He seen more of them on days when they'd been on a particularly action heavy case and her usual make up had all but disappeared. The best times were when he got to see her beauty mark. It showed up perfectly now on her make up free face. He'd be almost embarrassed at how much time he'd spent thinking about her mole if it wasn't so captivating. He wished to God she would stop covering it up. It sat just below her left nostril playing peak a boo with him as the work day went on and her cover up faded. What would it be like to kiss her right there? He'd spent so many nights fantasising about what it would feel like under his lips. If she would moan? If his bottom lip would graze her full top lip as his tongue pocked out to touch it. 

Having no make up made her look younger, almost as though she would fit in attending college. Her crumpled suit and messy hair adding to the adorable look. She was even more perfect like this, Mulder thought and he clenched his hand a little with the need to reach out and touch her. To calm the worried look on her face as she gently jostled Aaron to try and stop him crying. He wanted to have her lean on him for support for a change. He didn't think he'd ever seen her look more beautiful. She'd probably look just like this first thing in the morning wrapped in his arms.

"Come on in" She said turning from him. He entered her warm apartment and closed the door behind him. He didn't even manage to take a step when he heard a little girls voice.

"Dana, Mmuuuuuummmyyyy." A small voice sang from what Mulder assumed to be the bedroom door. A little girl, only about three years old, came toddling out of the room. Her huge brown eyes locking onto Mulder's instantly. She looked like a mini version of Scully apart from her eyes. She had flaming red hair that was only a few shades lighter than Scully's own. He had seen a few of Scully's childhood pictures dotted around her apartment and he was almost a hundred percent sure Scully dyed hers a little duller than it naturally was. The colour of her hair as a child was the exact same as Sophie's. The toddler's long hair was curly and fell in messy tangles down her back. He knew that Scully's hair had a lot of waves and soft curls to it too. He'd heard her blow drying it straight through connecting motel door's for years. The little girl's eyes really were the only notable difference between her and Scully. They were a deep rich chocolate colour while Scully's own were an endless ocean of blue. The resemblance was uncanny though. 

Mulder stood gawping at her from the closed front door. The little girl gasped and ran for him, bright shinny red hair flying behind her and a huge smile on her face. The teddy she had been holding by the paw forgotten at the sight of him. She launched herself at him and Mulder had no choice but to catch her and wrap his arms around her. 

"I just knowed my mummy wouldn't let that lady take us away. I just knowed she'd bring me a brand new feather. I just *knowed* it!" She hugged him tightly and sobbed happily into his neck. 

"Sophie. You're meant to be in bed. Go back this instant." Scully comanded and Mulder let the little girl down with a shocked look on his face. He understood that Scully couldn't explain everything to him now with the kids being there but she could atleast have given him something before she had left that afternoon. Some small nugget to let him know what to expect. "And it's Father, not feather. Mulder is only here to talk to me, not to do that, Sophie. Now, please, go back to your bed." She was a little short with Sophie as she tried to calm a now fully screaming Aaron in her arms.

"NO!! She said... she said I is apposed to have a father. She said so!" The little girl screamed at Scully who buckled to the couch with Aaron and sighed. She moved the baby onto his tummy and rocked him in her arms. His tiny red face in the crock of her elbow, his legs swinging as she rocked him. His screaming getting, if possible, even worse. 

"Sophie, please... please just go to your room. I've already explained this all to you." Scully's voice broke a little bit as she spoke. Aaron's screaming continued and she moved him again, this time up to her shoulder. She patted his back soothingly.

"NOOOO. I wants a Daddy! A real new nice one! That lady... she... she said that we is to have one. I want one! I HATE you! You're a *bad* new mummy!" Sophie screamed at Scully. Her tears falling freely and she stamped her tiny foot. Mulder could almost imagine an infant Scully doing the same thing. Scully's temper was a force to be reckoned with and it seemed this little girl was the same. Mulder gazed over at Scully just as Scully's face fell. She sobbed out. Tears falling onto Aaron's head. She pulled him away from her and tucked him into the car seat at her feet, buckling him in.

"I'm trying Sophie. I'm... I..." She fled the room. Tears falling down her cheeks. Mulder stared after her. Now he was alone with two screaming children and no idea what the hell to do or even what was going on. Things definitely felt worse than this afternoon rather than better. So much for answers he thought. He felt slightly annoyed at her. Leaving him alone in her living room with children he didn't know and had no clue how to handle. At the same time he felt his heart go out to her. He hated to see the love of his life like this.

Mulder moved cautiously over to Sophie who stared at the closed door of the bathroom on shock. "Come on why don't you show me your room? I bet it's *really* cool" He said. Sophie brushed tears from her flushed cheeks. He hoped to God that Sophie wouldn't notice how tense and terrified he was. He wasn't used to kid's so he didn't have a clue what to really do. Scully had once jokingly told him he had the same mental age so he hoped it would hold true and help him relate to and calm Sophie. She had stopped screaming anyway. Aaron was strapped in the car seat safely and although he was still crying one calm child at a time was all Mulder could hope for right now. This seemed to appease the little girl and she sniffled once and nodded her head, giving him a small shy smile. Sophie took his hand in her tiny one and led him down the hall a little and into Scully's bedroom picking up her teddy on the way.

Once they got into the bedroom Sophie dropped his hand and climbed into the bed. She looked absolutely tiny on it. She gently tucked the teddy in and scooted down to the foot of the bed. 

"I don't has my own room but my Mummy says she likes to snuggle me so I gets to stay in a biiig bed with her. Aaron doesn't though." She leaned into Mulder, once he'd sat beside her on the bed, and conspiratorially whispered "I think it's cause him has a poopy smelly bum but D... Mummy says it's just cause him's too small to huggle her proper like I do." She smiled, proud of herself. Then she sighed and snuggled deeply into Mulder's side. "Your name is Muller? That's funny." 

"Uhh... It's MulDer but I don't really mind what you call me." He felt strange sitting here in Scully's bedroom, on Scully's bed. He had envisioned being on her bed about a million times but none of those fantasies had been like this. There was always a lot more sexy naked Scully and definitely no children. 

He felt almost like he was invading her privacy being in this room without her. The bedding smelled just like Scully. He wanted to burry into the blankets and inhale that scent. He smiled down at the little girl. She was silent for a few moments, seeming content to just hug into him. Then he felt her silent tears soak his bare arm. The baby in the next room had thankfully stopped crying now. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He didn't know the situation and didn't know how to cheer Sophie up. "Why are you crying Sophie? Everything is ok. Nothing bad will happen. Do you know why?" He felt her shake her head and bent to whisper to her "because I won't let it and neither will Scu... You're Mummy. Ok?" She still cried but it seemed less now. Just little sobs every now and then.

"Muller? Why was mummy crying? Was I... did I be bad?" She snuffled into him.

"No Princess you weren't bad. I think she's maybe just sad because..." as soon as he got out the word sad she screamed a little and burst into heaving sobs, pulled away from him and stumbled to the floor. Her deep brown eyes spilling tears.

"But... but...She's the bestest Mummy... I don't hates her... please... I don't wants her to go to la sea side... please, Muller... I love my Mummy. She's my bestest newest bravest mummy. I always loves her!" She screamed at him. Her tears falling in earnest. Her wide eyes swimming with them "I'll be a good girl. I will be! Don't let her be sad! I don't want her to...go..to... la seaside. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She looked terrified. She wrapped her arms around her tummy and just kept repeating "I'm sorry" over and over again. Shit.

"Hey, woah, no. No, it's ok. Don't cry. She's ok, Sophie. She's ok." He got off the bed and crouched beside her. His hand soothing her arm. At that moment Scully walked into the bedroom, looking bedraggled. Sophie ran to her.

"Please, Mummy. I'm sorry. Muller doesn't have be a Daddy. Please don't go to la seaside. I won't be bad. I want you stay here!" She hiccuped and sobbed through what she was saying and Scully bent to embrace her.

"No, sweetie. No, I'm not going anywhere." She hugged her tightly and led her to the bed. She lay Sophie down and cuddled into her.

"But I heared them saying sad people goed there and Muller said you was sad. I don't hate you. I don't want you to... to be sad." She seemed to be calming a little in Scully's arms. Mulder sat at the foot of the bed looking at them. Scully really did seem like a great mum as she sat curled next to Sophie and smoothed her hair away from her sweaty forehead. It was a heartwarming sight and one he knew he'd never forget. Scully being a mum made him feel so warm and happy that he felt his mouth curling up in a small smile.

"Oh, Sweetheart. Your old Mummy was sad but she was *very* sad for a very *very* long time, remember? Im sorry I frightened you, Sophie. I was only sad for a tiny little bit and remember what I told you. You're old Mummy isn't at the seaside..." 

"She goed to heaban" Sophie said, a little look of wonder passing over her features.

"Heaven, yes. She's in heaven. Her sadness made her very sick and she went to heaven where nobody *ever* gets sick. Remember I told you all about it?" Sophie nodded against Scully's breast and held her tighter. 

"I likes Muller, Mummy, but he doesn't have be a daddy if you be sad about it." It seemed like she had exhausted herself with her late bedtime and her crying. She snuggled into Scully and they both yawned. Scully's nose brushed through her hair and she kissed the crown of her head.

"I love you, Mummy." Sophie said as her eyes grew heavy and her grip grew slack on Scully.

"I love you too, Sweetheart" Scully whispered back and the little girl smiled as she dozed off. Mulder could see the glint of tears in Scully's eyes as she smiled down at the child with love and then eased out of the bed. She tucked Sophie in and motioned for Mulder to stay quiet and snuck them both out of the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Scully gently picked up the now sleeping Aaron, walked past Mulder who stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room, and placed him in a travel cot in the hallway near the bedroom door. She turned back to face Mulder and motioned for him to sit on the couch.

"Would you like anything?" She asked him as she moved to the kitchen space. She opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of his favorite brand of iced tea. She assumed he'd want one even though she hadn't given him enough time to answer. It seemed to Mulder that she'd only asked in an effort to break the palpable tension between them. She held it out to him and sat on the couch next to him.

"Uhh... I'd like some answers, Scully, if you're taking requests." He opened his iced tea and automatically reached his hand out for hers without even looking. Her bottle was already there to meet him. Her hand brushing his slightly in mid air. She could never open damn bottles and it was an unspoken rule that he opened his and she passed him hers to open too. 

They'd done it so frequently over the years that it had become second nature to them both. In the early years of their partnership she tried to open bottles herself. Mulder had observed in amusement when she started to only drink cans of soda after she gave up trying to open bottles. Her stubborn need to be independent and in control taking over such a simple thing. All she had to do was ask him to open them. She was adorable. He bought a bottle of diet coke and opened it for her before she could protest one day. It had progressed naturally from there and he delighted in doing it for her. It felt incredible for her to give up the smallest piece of control to him.

"Okay. Where do I start?" Scully asked and took a long swig of her iced tea as he handed it back to her open. "Umm... They're not mine. I didn't give birth to them. Well, I mean, that's obvious... but uhm... Sarah said they are.. mine, I mean. Genetically. Their mother, Sarah Smith, the one that gave birth to them, she committed suicide. She hung herself. The local P.D found her when she didn't pick the children up from daycare. They found a will and called me last week..." She rattled it all off mechanically in one breath. Trying to compartmentalise it all.

"Last week?! Shit, Scully! You could have said something" Mulder said, almost spitting out the iced tea he'd just taken a swig of. He gaped at her. How the hell could she not have said something before now. This definitely explained the strange atmosphere in the office last week. It was Thursday today but she could have spoken to him about it last weekend or after work if she didn't want to interrupt their work days.

"Shh... you'll wake them" She hissed at him. He nodded for her to continue. A sheepish look on his face. "Anyway... they found her will and it named me and my partner their guardians. The children moved in last Monday. It took the social workers awhile to sort out the documentation. Mum's been helping out a lot and she says she'll take them at the weekends. I didn't want to say anything until things were more settled. The court's are contesting the will since its states "partner" and I... well... I don't have one" She smiled without humour. "We have a court appointed social service worker who's coming back to check on us tomorrow. She's already been out a few times. She comes a scheduled twice a week but she warned me she may 'pop in from time to time as well'. I'm pretty sure she came by at the weekend for a surprise visit but we all stayed at my Mum's. She's already told me that children need and deserve a father. I think that she thinks I'm cruel. She said I need to think about what's best for them even if that means I'm not in the picture. She hinted at the fact that as the will states "partner" I need to have one and if not..." she sighed sadly "They were in a children's home for a month before they came here because it took the courts so long to sort out everything and contact me. Sophie didnt settle there at all, although judging by tonight she's not fairing any better with me." Scully drank more of her tea after she'd finished. She was so uncomfortable that it was making Mulder uncomfortable too. She was his best friend and he didn't want her to feel like this about opening up to him. He couldn't think of a way to make it all better. He decided to start out with the easiest of his questions.

"The seaside?" Mulfer asked when she was silent for a moment.

"I'm assuming she heard someone say her mother committed suicide and, well, it's safe to say she won't be going to the beach anytime soon." She paused and studied her lap, avoiding his eyes at all costs. "I, I feel like I'm really screwing up here, Mulder." She let out a shaky breath at her admission. Mulder looked at her and she looked so lost and afraid that it startled him. He seldom saw her look anything but confident and sure. She prided herself on being able to compartmentalise and on her strict control of herself. 

"I need to fight for them. I just... I need to, Mulder." Mulder just continued to stare at her. He decided he both loved and loathed seeing her like this. He loved her being so open and actually admitting to fears and desires but at the same time he hated seeing her look broken and feeling utterly useless to help. Scully stopped looking at her lap and focused her gaze on the floor, her fingers playing unconciously with the bottle lid "I think... I think I have to quit the FBI, Mulder. If I get to keep them, I mean. That's why I didn't... why I never..." She broke off as tears started to build. She blinked at them furiously. "God... I keep crying. I'm sorry" She turned her face away. She felt so ashamed of herself for constantly weakening and crying in front of him but it felt like now the dam was open she couldn't shut it.

"Do not *ever* be sorry for showing your emotions Scully" He said pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. 

"I don't... I don't want to leave you, Mulder. I think I was just putting off telling you because if I didn't then somehow it wouldn't be real." She whimpered out burying her face in his t shirt. This thing will be more tears and snot than material soon Mulder thought to himself as he stroked soothing patterns along her back.

"You won't be leaving *me*, Scully. Just leaving work. You can't get rid of me that easily you know. And you're supposed to be smart" He nudged her playfully. She chuckled a little and pulled away from him. She wiped at her eyes and breathed deeply trying to calm herself. "Why might you not get to keep them?" He asked sinking into her breathtaking blue eyes. "Just because you're not with someone?" 

"Well... uh... Mrs Wilson, the social worker, said that in order to provide a stable environment and keep things within the law I must adhere the the will and testoment of Miss Smith, their Mother, and if I don't then it's not only going against the wishes she had for her children but damaging to the children aswell. She says Sarah clearly wanted them to have a father I just... it's only been just over a week, I know... But, but I love them. I never thought that I'd have..." She broke off and took another sip of her juice.

"And about them being genetically yours?" He asked,choosing to ignore where Scully was going with her last thoughts. He knew that her ova had been stolen. He had taken a vial of them himself and had them tested. Did she know the full extent of what had been done to her he wondered. 

"Mulder, I need for what I'm about to tell you not to become some kind of X file. Not to be put on record like that. I don't think I could handle it. Not with... with everything that's going on." He nodded his approval at her. "OK... uhm. As a result of what happened to me during my abduction I cannot conceive a child. I found out awhile ago. When I had... when I was in the hospital. They asked me if I'd like to freeze some of my ova. The treatments I would have to undergo could kill off all of them so they suggested they retrieve as many of them as they could and keep them for if I... I mean I knew that I probably wouldn't use... who would I have to... but I, I consented to it. I knew I'd hate myself in the future if I didn't end up... not getting better and I was finally with... and we wanted." She paused and looked straight at him "But there weren't any, Mulder... When I was taken they must have stolen them. I was going to... well, the cancer was agressive so my chances... I figured that I didn't need the ova anyway since I wasnt going to, to be around... but now... Since I'm ok now, I just, I guess I never realised how much I wanted it until I couldn't have it." She stopped again, breathing rather heavily and took a small sip of tea. 

Mulder suspected it was just to give herself something to do. She continued "In Sarah's will she states that they are both genetically mine. That she had some kind of link to me through them when she was pregnant and that's how she knew who I was and where the police could find me. It was all in a letter. She had it in an envolope along with her will. She said they impregnated her with my ova when she went for ivf. She said... she said they're... uhm... that they're the result of experimentation. I'd believe it to be nothing but sheer science fiction but... I know I should look at it objectivly, I do, but I know how I feel and I, I feel close to them. I feel like, like they *are* mine. I can't fully explain it. I've asked for the lab to rush a PCR test and I should recieve the results in a few days, Wednesday at the latest. I can't let them be taken away from me Mulder. If that means getting some boring 9-5 job, being a model parent, marrying some hick, whatever, than it's what I'll do. I'll do whatever it takes to keep my babies, Mulder... I have to and I, I just hope that you can forgive me for it, for not continuing to seek the truth with you" She ended with a sob.

"Oh, Scully. Hey, look at me" He pleaded her, lifting her chin with two fingers so her eyes could meet his. At some point in past few minutes she'd become fascinated with anything other than him. Her eyes met his reluctantly. "There is nothing to forgive Scully. I realised a very long time ago that *you* were my truth and I've already found you" He tried to joke and gave her a goofy grin. "If you have to leave then I understand but... Don't think for a moment that it means losing me, Scully. You never could. You make me a whole person. I'll do anything you ask me to, Scully" Tears sparkled in her eyes seeming to make them even more blue. Shinning like sapphires at him. 

"I'd never ask you to stop searching, Mulder." She all but whispered to him. Their eyes locked on each other. The tension started to grown as they just sat there gazing at one another. God, he wanted to kiss her tear stained cheeks. To make love to her until she forgot all the sadness and worry. She was breathtaking! Sitting with her eyes still locked on his and his fingers under her chin. 

The moment stretched, too long to be considered friendly but certainly not an unheard of closeness for them. As she always did Scully broke whatever was working through them. She pulled away and seemed to sit even further from him on the couch. She gave him a sad smile and finished her drink. "I have to get some sleep." She said walking to the bin to deposit her empty bottle. Mulder almost smiled at her putting it in the trash. So organised, so clean, so *Scully*. He'd have left it on the coffee table for a good few days or chucked it in the bedroom if Scully was coming over to go over a case. Many a time he'd found strange things in his bedroom that he'd thrown in to 'clean up' for a Scully visit. A mutated sock/pizza combination had been the latest one. Maybe it was an x-file? 

"It's not even nine yet, Scully." Mulder said.

"I know. I'm sorry. Not all of us are crazy insomniacs though Mulder." She turned back to the couch and sat close to him. "Sophie will be up at about 6.30 and this instant mum thing really wears a person out" She said with a delicate yawn and a half smile.

"Why does she call you Mum?" Mulder asked. His hand unconciously playing through her silky hair.

"She said she 'just knew' it was me that was meant for them. I'm not sure what their Mother told them but Sophie said she's happy to finally be with her real Mummy now even though she loved her old one" 

"Have you allowed yourself to think of the possibility that these children might not have entirely human DNA? The potential that whatever experimentation Miss Smith referred to spliced their genetic code with something extraterrestrial" He rushed the words out. Afraid, as always, of her reaction to his belief in such things. "I mean, maybe it's true. Maybe Sarah Smith did feel you because of Sophie and Aaron. Maybe the kids know you're their Mum because of some kind of extra sense brought on by the altered DNA that had been mixed with yours and implanted in Sarah via IVF. Somehow giving them extra insight into things that we as ordinary humans do not have."

"Mulder, no. I can't do this with you again. I just can't, I won't. Whether or not these children are mine biologically they *are* mine. I will *not* allow you to make a case out of my children, Mulder. I've been down this road one too many times with you and I cannot do it again. Not when they need me." Mulder looked crestfallen but in his mind he already knew she would react like that. He knew she would discount any theory of his especially when she couldn't scientifically prove it. He'd just wait for the PCR test to prove they were genetically hers and ask for a more comprehensive examination of their DNA.

"OK, Scully. I'm sorry. I just think that we should look at every possibility. As a scientist you know that's the way to go." He always knew that any slight questioning of her tightly held science would bring our her need to 'prove' him wrong.

"No, you're right. If the PCR test comes back and they are *genetically* mine then I'll have the lab run a complete genetic make up." She yawned again and snuggled subconsciously into his warm side. 

She must be *exhausted* Mulder thought even as the warmth of her petite body seeped through him. He doubted she would ever get *this* close unless she was physically and emotionally drained. He couldn't help his hand from wrapping around her though. 

It felt so good just to hold her. Her head tucked under his chin and her body pressed down the side of his. Her breathing started to deepen. She had fallen asleep like that. He should wake her. He really should but, God, she felt good. The clean scent of her in the air around him making his senses slower. His mind quieter, she always calmed him, soothed him. His eyes started to flutter closed. He'd wake her in a little while. She looked too peaceful and content to dusturb anyway, he reasoned. He hugged her a little tighter. 

"I love you" He mumbled into her hair and kissed the crown of her head


	4. Chapter 4

Mulder awoke in the pre dawn and was automatically worried. This was not his couch. Where the hell was he? He felt well rested, better than he usually did actually. He was about to launch into full panic mode when he felt something warm stretching slightly at his side. What the hell? 

He gasped and looked down. Scully? Even in the dull light he could make out her red hair. The night came screaming back to him. Jesus. It was a hell of a lot to take in. At some point in the night they had somehow moved from their sitting position and he now lay on the rather comfortable over stuffed couch with Scully resting completely over him. Her head on his chest and her arm flung over his waist. His arm lay under her head and sat protectively on her side. Shit. He had to get out of this position before she woke up. 

He heard a grumble and startled slightly thinking she was starting to awaken. He then realised it was the baby fussing in his travel cot. Aaron's little moans were probably what had woken him up. He slowly and gently disentangled from his loves arms. He didn't want her to wake up. Scully was always such a light sleeper if the fact she answered his calls at any time of the day or night was anything to go by. He'd been on what felt like hundreds of stake outs with her too and she awoke at a simple touch or a mutter of her name. He didn't rate his chances of getting away from her without waking her but he slowly and gently tried to escape anyway. "Mmm, Muld..." was the only little grumble she made and then she snuggled fully into his vacant space. He was successfully standing up but now he realised that he had absolutely no clue how to even sooth a grumpy baby. 

Mulder very delicately lifted Aaron from his cot. Atleast his neck didn't flop about like some of the small babies he'd seen. That put him a little at ease. He still handled the small boy like he was a bomb about to go off in his face. Aaron calmed down and Mulder seen him stuff his chubby fist in his mouth and suck. His mind flashed back to him doing that in the office yesterday. The blond woman said he was teething but he'd calmed down when he'd been fed so Mulder thought he may as well try to feed him. What harm could it do.

He got Aaron successfully into the high chair at the table. It was difficult but the baby didn't seem to be irritated by Mulder's clumsy fingers trying to strap him in. He just sat blowing bubbles and looking at his hands. Mulder felt his heart surge with love as he gazed at the little boys deep blue Scully eyes. 

There was no doubt in his mind these children were somehow hers. They both looked far too much like her not to be. The little boys azure blue eyes sparkled up at him and Mulder smiled at him. He felt so fiercely protective of the little boy already. It was so odd to him as he'd never been near children before but he knew he could get into being a Father. He cursed himself as that thought passed through his mind. They were *not* his! He could *not* grow attached to Aaron or Sophie. They might not even get to stay with their... with Scully. She might not even be their biological mother although he felt sure she was. He had to stop thinking of them being around though. His mind drifted through everything that had happened.

He raked through her cupboards until he found a box of powder that had a happy baby on it. He frowned as he read through the instructions. Why couldn't you just mirowave this stuff? It was just gonna be a mix of water and this powder. Best not to risk it though. He'd heat it all the way it said. He mixed it up in a bottle and boiled the kettle to heat it up in a pot of boiling water. 

Aaron's face started to screw up and he looked like he was about to burst into tears. He whimpered once and Scully shifted on the couch. Mulder felt a surge of panic. He spied a brightly coloured octopus on a shelf and fetched it. Each one of its tenticles were different, crinkly, mirrored, soft, furry... he passed it to the little boy and cooed very softly at him. It appeased Aaron. Mulder danced the toy around and wiggled the bright tenticles in his face. Aaron giggled in delight and Mulder felt himself smile at him in love. His stomach dropped. He loved him. Shit. No. No, he didn't! He was just responding to the fact that the boy looked like Scully. Christ, he'd only spent half an hour alone with him. He wasn't his father. She might not even be his mother. What the hell was he thinking? What an idiot! 

The bottle must be ready now so he fished it out of the water and sprayed some on his arm the way he'd seen Scully do. Ow! Fuck! Too hot! He quickly turned on the cold tap and put his arm under it. Ahh, that was much better. He emptied the pot and stuck it under the tap to fill with cold water. He dumped the bottle in it to cool. 

Aaron started to fuss again so Mulder tried dancing around the octopus. It wasn't working and Scully started to grumble. He unfastened the seat and carefully picked up the baby. He whimpered again and Mulder gently jostled him. He felt too big and the baby too small and easily broken. The analogy of a bull in a China shop sprang to his mind as he reached for the bottle again and tried to check it while holding Aaron. It was prefect. 

Mulder sat on one of the dinning chairs and fed the hungry baby boy. He gulped it down as though he hadnt eaten in days. Soon enough it was finished. He knew he was meant to burp him but he wasn't really sure how. He put the empty bottle on the table and put Aaron over his knees and patted his tiny back. Aaron's feet kicked about and Mulder kept rubbing and patting awkwardly. Eventually he heard a little burp. He kept stroking his back and Aaron's legs slowly stopped kicking. Mulder felt something wet on his leg and picked him up off his lap. Aaron's eyes were closed, he was asleep again. He was so cute! Mulder almost laughed out loud, he didn't think he'd ever thought of anything as *cute* before. He looked down at his leg and noticed a dribbled bit of white tinged saliva. He'd drooled on Mulder. He smiled at how he felt suddenly so domesticated. He never thought he'd have baby drool on him.

Mulder very carefully placed the tiny bundle into the cot. He watched him sleeping for a moment and felt a rush of awe sweep over him. He mentally shook himself. He couldn't feel like this. It was so screwed up! Everything he'd ever wanted was in this apartment. If only Scully was his and they were their children. How absolutely incredible would that be. It was so unfair that the universe saw fit to dangle this in front of him but not really give it to him. He wanted to weep for a moment. 

He moved from the cot side and went back to the couch. Scully hadn't even really moved. He decided to put her in bed and let her sleep there. She had to be cold on the couch anyway without a cover. Sophie would be awake soon but he hoped that Scully could have a long lie. She needed it.

He was extremely tender as he scooped her up in his arms. She was as light as a feather and he moved her effortlessly through to the bedroom. She hardly even stirred except to burry her face into his chest. He very gently opened the bedroom door. He saw a mess of bright red fiery hair and a little girl star fished out on the bed. He walked around the side with the most space and the least amount of tiny little limbs. He gently lowered Scully but she put her arms around his neck, stopping him from leaving her.

"Mmmulder..." She moaned out and buried her face deeper into his chest. 

"Cuddle in, Scully. Go back to sleep" He whispered to her and gently pulled her arms away from around his neck.

"Hmm... Muld... luff Mull.er..., mmm, bed" She frowned and sighed. He smiled at her. He didn't think Scully tended to talk in her sleep so it was yet another testament as to how exhausted she was. He stood watching her sleep for a moment, indulging himself in gazing openly at her. He swithered about taking off her clothing so she was more comfortable but he thought it seemed a bit perverted so he didn't. Sully mumbled something he couldn't catch and wrapped her arm over Sophie. She subconsciously must know her daughter was beside her and she pulled her close and hummed happily.

Mulder went back through to the livingroom, quietly shutting the door behind him. He wasn't tired so he knew there was no point in trying to get back to sleep. Hw rememberwd he'd left a go bag at Scully's house in case of emergencies so he grabbed it from the coat cupboard. He went to her bathroom and started going about his daily routine. 

He found a new tooth brush and razor in her cabinet and debated for a brief moment about using them. Would Scully be annoyed? Whatever. He seriously needed to brush his teeth and shave. She only had disposable razors but they'd do in a pinch. He found some shaving foam in his rummaging too. It sat tucked behind a bottle of something called Mr Matey that had a princess on it. He smiled again at the thought of Scully trying to give an excitable three year old a bath and getting covered in this Matey stuff.

He fished out the bottle of shaving foam. It was in a pink bottle and said it was tempting. The hell did that mean? Shaving foam wasn't tempting he thought with a chuckle. He squirted some out anyway and started at its bright purple colour. It smelt like lavender or something similar. He foamed it up and put it on his face. He had really thick hair and if he went even a day without shaving he got a seriously bad five o'clock shadow. He didn't really want Scully to see him like that. He knew she only saw him as a friend but he still liked to look good for her. Who knew if his lucky day might come? 

He finished up and got another iced tea from her fridge. He had a suspicion she'd bought them for him anyway. He never saw her drink them unless he had one to. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see the time. It was half past six already. As if on cue he heard tiny little feet scarper across the carpet in the bedroom. 

He quickly made his way through. He didn't want Sophie to wake up Scully. He wanted her to have a good sleep. He wanted to make her breakfast in bed and call Skinner to tell him they were both going to take the day off. Give her some obviously much needed rest. 

Sophie stood over Scully trying to wake her up by pulling her arm. Scully slept on. When Sophie noticed Mulder in the doorway she gave a huge smile. He put his finger quickly to his lips to tell her to be quiet. She copied him and on exaggerated tip toes she sneaked from the bedroom. Scully grumbled and rolled over. Mulder shut the door silently when Sophie got out.

"Why is we being shh Muller?" She asked him in a stage whisper. 

"We're being quiet so we don't wake up your Mummy" it still felt so strange to call Scully their Mummy but at the same time it felt oddly right. She *was* their Mum, he could tell. Genetically and emotionally, she was theirs as they were hers. "I thought we'd make her breakfast in bed to surprise her later. Do you think she'd like that?" Sophie beamed up at him.

"Yeah" She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She like that" She smiled up at him again. "I like you Muller" She told him honestly. He was a bit startled as it seemed to come from the blue.

"That's good 'cause I like *you*" He smiled down at her and tickled her sides a little, she giggled. He had no idea what to do with a toddler having never really been around one. Should he let her watch tv? It seemed like that was a nice quiet thing to do that wouldn't wake up Scully. "Want to watch some television?" He asked her and she positively beamed at him.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed loudly then clamped her hands over her mouth and giggled. He loved that little giggle. "I likes tv but my Mummy doesn't let me wash it. My Ganny does though but issa secwet. So ssshhh" She said with another little giggle and then toddled quickly over to the couch. She flopped her top body on it and wriggled her little legs up until she was sitting there. With her bum at the back of the seat her legs didn't even get to the edge of the cushion. Adorable.

Mulder walked over and got the remote. He switched it on and turned it down. He flicked through a few chanel's until he found one with a baby face in the sun and Sophie pulled at him. "I likes this" She told him. She pulled at him more until he ended up sitting down beside her. She cuddled up to him and sighed in contentment. 

"So who is that?" Mulder asked, trying to be interested in the children's show for Sophie's sake.

"Tha's Po. She's my favite. She's red and tha's my most bestest colour. The lellow one is, umm, lala, I thinks... and I don't member the puple ones name." She said with a small frown and licked her top lip in what seemed to be frustration. She looked so much like Scully when she did that and he felt another wave of protection and fierce love flow over him. He squashed it down.

"What about the green one?" He asked noticing she'd left him out.

"I hates him, Muller." She frowned and pouted. "He's green and I hates green. Like veggables. Bluegh! And him has a silly little hat and I not like it. Him's called Dipsy. We can no like him, Muller! Poopy green Dipsy" She moaned and snuggled into him again. A few more episodes came on and he just sat there hugging her back. She was completely engrossed in the show and he was lost in his thoughts. She giggled away when they made tubby custard and she told him that the hover called noo noo was her favourite too when he came on and sucked up some of the pink goop they were calling tubby custard.

Aaron started fussing so Mulder got up to get him again. He looked at his watch as he walked over. It was already half past eight. Shit. He better call Skinner. How the hell had he sat watching that crap for two hours. Ugh! 

He picked up the small squirming baby boy and rocked him. 

"Him need a clean bum, Muller. Pee hew" came Sophie's voice from beside him. He hadn't even noticed her climbing down from the couch but now she stood right beside him holding her nose. It was then that Mulder caught the awful smell coming from Aaron. Great, a diaper change. Well, that'll be another first.

"Yeah, he does. Where does Mummy keep his clean diapers?" He asked her.

"I can gets one" She said in a very happy voice. Clearly glad she could help. She pressed her finger to her lips "shh" She whispered and smiled while raising her tiny shoulders. She creeped into Scully's bedroom and Mulder felt a flash of fear as the floor board made a tiny creak. He moved further into the livingroom with Aaron who had calmed a little in his arms but was still whimpering. 

Sophie showed back up with a clean diaper in her hands. "I be'ed very very quiet" She smiled at him and then sniggered. The thought of creeping around and not waking Scully was obviously amusing her.

Mulder took the diaper from her "Yeah, you were really good. Thank you, Princess. Why don't you finish your show and I'll change his smelly bum" He stuck his tongue out and made and ew face that delighted the toddler. 

He went to the bathroom where he was sure he'd seen a changing mat propped up next to her toilet. He was right. He placed it down and spent a good ten minutes trying to clean the squirming baby and figure out how the hell the tabs worked on the damn thing. Why the hell did baby grows have about a billion popper buttons on them? 

Task complete he took the baby through to the kitchen and started fixing another bottle. Thank God Scully was a neat freak and had all of this stuff cleaned and ready to go because he wouldn't have a clue how to go about sterilising a bottle. 

"Can I has some fetfest too please Muller?" Sophie's voice said politely when he had strapped Aaron into his chair. Fuck. He felt like such an asshole. He hadn't even given her any breakfast. What a fantastic father he'd be. He felt so awful. She was probably starving. He'd been so worried about keeping her occupied and letting Scully sleep that he hadn't even thought about it at all. Idiot.

"Of course you can, Princess. I'm so sorry I didn't ask you before." He told her sincerely. "What would you like?" He asked her and Sophie clambered up onto a seat. 

"Can I has cereal please?" She kept almost forcing herself to say please and Mulder figured that Scully was probably teaching her manners. He felt a small surge of something that almost resembled pride at that thought.

"Sure Princess." He told her "is it in this cupboard" He asked reaching up to what would probably be a food cupboard. The little girl just nodded. She seemed to have changed moods and he could see the hint of a blush through her freckles. He frowned and chose to ignore it for now.

"This one?" He asked holding a box of Lucky Charms. Sophie squirmed a bit and flushed deeper.

"Mhm" She said without meeting his eyes. She licked her top lip again and Mulder knew exactly what was going on. She wasn't allowed the cereal and she was trying to pretend she was. The one good thing about toddler's was that they hadn't mastered the art of lying yet. 

"You're not allowed these are you?" He said watching her. Her face crumpled up and she started to cry. He wasn't sure if her tears were a reaction to being caught on a lie or to the fact she wouldn't get the cereal. 

"N... no." She whimpered out and rubbed at her face. "My Ganny buyed me them but... but Mummy says noooo" She wailed out. She was atleast still quieter than Aaron could be and a hell of a lot quieter than she was last night. He rushed to her side none the less. Her cries pulling at his heart. He would have given her them if he was honest but the fact she had lied meant she had to be punished for it so she wouldn't get them. Mulder didn't see the harm in giving kids sugar from time to time but Scully clearly did.

"Shh... dont cry Princess. You can't tell lies though. It's very naughty." He scolded gently. He really couldn't be angry at this mini version of Scully but he knew he had to make it clear she couldn't lie. He felt almost as bad as she clearly did. 

"If you had told the truth then we could have asked your Mummy why you can't have them and maybe given you some for your supper or a snack but you lied about it. You can't have any because you lied" He said but stroked her back to take any sting away from his words. He hated to see her cry. He wanted to give her whatever she wanted but he knew it wasn't a good parenting tactic. Not that he was her parent. Shit. He had to stop thinking of them as his children. Why did he have to love them already?! Damn it! 

"So what cereal do you normally get?" He asked her once she'd calmed down and stopped crying. He gave her a little kiss on the top of her head and scolded himself for it. He was far too attached. He couldn't get wrapped up in this fake bliss. He let her go as he chastised himself and went back to the cupboard.

"These ones?" He asked, taking down a boring brown box. Sophie sniffed and sadly nodded her head.

"Them has bunny poops." She told him sadly. He looked at the box and saw that it was some healthy flake with raisins. So Scully.

"They look good. I like raisin cereal" He sort of lied. He felt like an idiot for lying to her after he'd just told her off for exactly the same thing. It wasn't exactly a lie since he liked raisins well enough so he soothed himself with that. Would he hell eat them in cereal though. Raisins and milk? Bluegh! The box looked boring and extremely unappealing. No wonder Sophie didnt want them. Poor girl, he thought and poured some out for her. Mulder added the gross looking 2% milk Scully had. It looked like water with a tiny splodge of white mixed in. Eugh.

"Here you go Princess" He said as he placed it down in front of her. Aaron's bottle was probably ready by now so he took it out and tested it. Yup, perfect. He was getting the hang of bottle making he thought proudly. He sat down opposite Sophie and beside Aaron. He put the bottle in his mouth and Aaron drank it greedily. It hadn't been that long since he'd been fed. How often do babies need to eat? He had no idea.

He smiled over at Sophie as he watched her diligently picked out all the raisins and muttering away to herself about bunny poops. The offending raisins sat in a neat pile next to her bowl. 

She gave a dramatic sigh "there just loads of little poops in my cereals Muller" She kept picking them out one but one as Aaron finished his bottle. 

She finally started eating when Mulder took baby Aaron out to burp him. The cereal look soggy and gross by this point and he felt his stomach churn a little as she started digging in. She didn't seem to mind at all and started humming quietly and swinging her legs. 

He got Aaron to burp and then remembered he was meant to call Skinner. Shit. This domestic Father thing really toook over. He wondered what to do with Aaron while he was on the phone. The way he squirmed made it obvious he couldn't just hold him. 

"Does your brother have any other toys?" Mulder asked the little girl.

"Mummy puts him in him's ring to play wiff him's otopuss. That's him's favite" Sophie told him as she fished around for a raisin that had somehow excaped her notice. 

Mulder saw a soft cushioned ring with a scooped center and assumed that must be what she meant. It was brightly coloured and had different animal's printed over it. He walked over and moved it into the middle of the livingroom and gently placed Aaron inside. He looked very comfortable and cosy and Mulder handed him his octopus after playing with it and dancing it around for Aaron. 

"I'm had enough Muller" Sophie called from the kitchen at the other end of the room. He looked over and saw her making a disgusted face as she put the raisins back in the nearly empty bowl. She hadn't eaten all of it but Mulder hadn't known how much to pour so he'd probably given her more than her tiny tummy could take. 

"Can you be a big girl and watch Aaron for a moment?" He asked her. He'd be in the room aswell but he wanted her to feel like she was getting a huge responsibility. She grinned and hopped down from the chair.

"Yup. I'll be *really* good and wash him la whole time" She smiled up at him. Clearly she was ecstatic to be thought of as capable enough to watch him. She rushed over and sat beside her brother, staring intently at him.

Mulder called the office and told Skinner he was taking the day off. Skinner sounded surprised but glad. He mentioned that Scully had already taken the day off too. Mulder ended the call and went back over to the children. He'd been watching them the whole time he'd been on the phone and a few times he'd had to stifle his laughter at Sophie. She obviously took the responsibility very seriously as she'd stayed stock-still staring at Aaron. Bless her. 

"Wow... you did a brilliant job" He enthused. She scratched her cheeks and smiled. The praise was definitely the right call. 

"I'm the bestest big siser *ever*" She told him and toddled away to clamber up on the couch again. 

 

Mulder looked at his watch and started. It was quarter past nine. He better get Scully up or she'd probably be mad she'd missed most of the day. 

"Let go and make your mummy breakfast." He said and picked Aaron up from his ring. He grabbed the octopus too and heard Sophie scurrying along beside him to the kitchen. 

"She's gon be so happy, eh Muller" She said as Mulder put Aaron in his high chair again. He felt a little bad that he was just fumbling through the morning and moving the baby from pillar to post but Aaron didn't seem to care so long as he had his octopus. 

"Yeah" He beamed and gave more excitement than the situation called for. He wanted Sophie to be happy and excited so he matched her enthusiasm. "What should we make her? Cereal? Toast? We could make her *anything* Maybe some juicy frogs" He told her playfully. Sophie giggled and climbed up onto the chair next to Aaron. 

"We has be nice, Muller" She giggled at him and covered her mouth as though giving her mum frogs to eat was the most hilarious thing she'd ever heard of. "We can makes her toast and... um, her likes jam. It's got poopy seeds in" She laughed again. She was so happy and such a nice little girl that Mulder knew he couldn't really help but to love her. He kept trying to push away his emotions anyway. It was only for today and then he'd probably hardly even see them. That thought made his heart ache a little. 

"Sounds really tasty. Let's do that" he told her and put some bread in her toaster. He played with Aaron's octopus and chatted away to Sophie about the teletubbies. He didn't really know her yet so talking about that seemed to be the only thing he could do that would relate them both. He told her how his favourite was the purple one because he liked his shiny red bag and Sophie enthused over how it was her favourite colour again. 

The toast popped and he went into the cupboard for the jam and the cutlery drawer for a knife to spread it. He saw a bright blue plastic knife and decided to let Sophie try to help. She seemed to love responsibility and helping so he wanted to let her feel needed. 

"Why don't you try?" He said to her and she gaped at him. Her beautiful brown eyes bugging a little at him having such faith in her. 

"Otay... bu can you helps me Mulder?" She asked. She probably hadn't ever been given something she saw as such a huge responsibility before and she was obviously taking it very seriously. 

"Of course I'll help you, Sophie." He told her.

"No! No Sophie. I'm Muller's pincess" She said angrily. He chortled a little.

"Yes, you're right. You're always my princess." He told her. He felt another rush of painful love for her and phased out for a split second to try and remind himself of the realistic situation he was in. 

He gave her the plastic blunt knife and sat the jam and toast down beside it. She took the knife and reached up high to get a tiny bit of jam. She spread it so very gently and carefully over the toast. Only about a centimeter was covered. She did it again and again until the whole piece was done. She looked very proud and looked up at him for approval. 

"That's brilliant. You're really good at that. Can I do one?" He asked, hoping the answer would be yes. If not they'd be there all day. She nodded and handed him the little knife.

"You have be very very carful. Mummy says knifes is very sharp. Them can hurt you very bad." She told him as if he might not know and she was protecting him.

"You're Mummy is right. I'll be very careful." He told her and quickly spread the toast. He glanced over to Aaron who was happily smiling at his octopus. 

Mulder picked him up and nestled him in his arms. He felt much more secure holding him now but he still worried about how he was going to manage the plate of toast and the baby.

He went back to the table and picked up the jam on toast carefully. It was a bit of a struggle but he managed and Aaron didn't wiggle too much. He hoped Scully liked cold toast. Sophie scrambled down to the floor and clutched at his trousers. They walked through to wake Scully up with her breakfast


	5. Chapter 5

Mulder and Sophie walked into the bedroom and he walked over and put Scully's jam on toast on the bedside table. The sun was beaming in through the blinds and illuminating Scully's sleeping form. She looked so amazing! Her vivid red hair a messy halo over her and in stark contrast to the crisp white pillow case. Any little worry lines she had were completely smoothed out in blissful rest. Sophie scrambled up onto the bed beside Scully. 

"Hey sleeping beauty. Time to get up and at 'em" Mulder said and Sophie snuggled into Scully's chest and threw an arm over her. Scully grumbled and opened her eyes to mere slits.

"Mmh... Time 's it, Muller?" She asked. Her voice groggy and thick with sleep.

Sophie bust into giggles "Mummy call you Muller too" She laughed and held her tummy as if it was without a doubt the most hilarious thing she'd heard her Mum say. Aaron giggled in Mulder's arms responding to his sisters laughing. 

Scully reached her arms out to Aaron and smiled. Mulder passed her the baby boy and she snuggled him in between herself and Sophie then gave them each and kiss. 

"We made you breakfast, Scully" Mulder said and passed her the plate. 

"I was a big help!" Sophie told her proudly and cuddled her brother. 

"You were?" She said in happy mock surprise. "I knew you were a little chef." She leaned into Sophie "I bet Mulder couldn't have done it without you." She said in a loud whisper so Sophie thought it was just for her to hear. She giggled again and Aaron wiggled about. Scully ate some of her toast and judging by the look on her face she didn't mind it being cold at all. 

Mulder watched the little family with a mind numbing desire to have this be something else. To have this be *his* family waking up on a lazy Sunday and making their Mum breakfast in bed. Seeing Scully sitting with her two children gave him such a strange emotion, one he couldn't even put words to. It seemed so perfect. He had no place there though and he knew it. 

He wondered if he could ever manage to ever fit in here. He didn't want to leave. To have that be the last morning he watched his little Princess pick 'bunny poops' out of her boring cereal or watch Teletubbies. He wanted that everyday! He found his quick mind forming a plan to make that happen but he knew it was a ridiculous one. He stopped the thoughts.

"So what time is it?" Scully asked around a mouthful of toast. 

Mulder checked his watch for about the hundredth time that morning "It's just after 10 now" He told her.

"Shit!" Scully shoved the toast onto her bedside table. She stood up abruptly. Sophie gaped at her.

"You did a swear!" She said in shock. Sophie looked at Mulder for help. She was so clearly shocked and appalled at it.

"You did a swear! You have say sorry!" Sophie told her sternly. 

Scully ignored her and started hauling out clothing from her chest of drawers and throwing children's things on the bed. 

"Say sorry!" Sophie shouted at her. Mulder sat there and said nothing. He was pretty stunned himself that Scully's mood had shifted so quickly. 

"Not now, Sophie! Stop it! Put those clothes on. Mulder, can you get Aaron dressed?" She was so l frantic that Mulder merely nodded and picked up the little boy. 

Sophie's face fell and she started to cry. Mulder couldn't blame her, he felt like crying a bit himself. What the hell? He felt like he'd got whiplash. What was the rush? She was being so utterly crazed. Sophie kept weeping quietly as Scully hauled off her slept in work clothes. 

If Mulder hadn't been in such shock at her mood change he would have taken great delight in watching her undress. It wasn't as seductive as it was in his fantasies though, not nearly. She stripped hurriedly and didn't even seem to notice he was in the room as she threw stokings and panties across the floor. Her face looked more fearful and stressed out than he'd ever seen anyone. 

He managed to wrestle Aaron into his dungarees that Scully had thrown on the bed. The socks were a damn nightmare and held him up for awhile. Baby pinky toes were *not* cooperative! Just when he thought he'd got it he'd feel resistance and realise a sneaky toe had popped out somehow. 

Mulder glanced over at Sophie who was silently weeping. She'd struggled on her pink t-shirt and pulled up her elasticated jeans. Scully didn't even turn around as she pulled on her own jeans and socks. 

"Hurry up!" She shouted out and pulled on her top. Mulder chanced a glance at her and she looked very close to tears. She turned around newly dressed to see how everyone was getting on.

"Scully, you need to calm down" Mulder told her in a stern voice. He caught her eye and looked pointedly at Sophie to show Scully the damage she was doing. Sophie was crying to herself and trying to pull on a sock. She couldn't manage but she kept trying and it made her cry even more in frustration. Her beautiful round face screwed up in dismay. 

"Oh, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Mummy is so sorry pumpkin. Come here" Scully said and sat on the bed out stretching her arms to Sophie. 

"I... I is try be quick Mu,Mummy..." She sniffed and cried. Scully pulled Sophie into her arms. She rocked her back and forth whispering soothing sounds into her ear.

"It's not your fault Pumpkin. I'm sorry. I'm just very worried about the lady coming today. Shh... calm down" She said and Mulder heard the pain and guilt in Scully's voice. This was his fault. If he'd just woken her up when she was meant to wake up she wouldn't be stressing out. 

Sophie eventually calmed down in Scully's arms. Scully leaned back "Where's my pretty baby girl?" She asked in pretend confusion. "I'll have to wipe up all those tears to see if I can find her" She said and started wiping the girls tears off of her face. She gasped "Oh, there she is!" She exclaimed and pulled her back into a fierce hug. Sophie giggled a tiny bit.

"I is right here Mummy" She said to Scully. Scully laughed a little and kissed the top of Sophie's head. 

"You know... I didn't get to finish my toast and I'm feeling really *really* hungry" Scully said as she pulled apart from Sophie. "I can smell some tasty feet too" She told her. Then she leaned Sophie quickly down on the bed and grasped her tiny foot. "I think I'll need to eat them" She said and leaned down and started to pretend to devour Sophie's foot. The little girl shrieked in laughter.

"No. No, Mummy. No" She gasped between uproarious giggles "do no eats my feets" Scully kept making hungry nom noises. Mulder felt himself chuckling at Scully. She was amazing. He moved Aaron quietly into his cot with his octopus and went back to the bed. He wanted to join in. 

"Quick, quick we better put your socks on before the Mummy monster gobbles up your feet" He said. He felt a little surprised at how easy it felt to play with them. Maybe Scully was right and he had the same mental age.

"Helps me Muller" Sophie giggled as Scully kept pretending to eat her foot. 

Mulder grabbed a sock and playfully pushed at Scully. "You can't eat her feet" He told her and quickly pulled on the sock blocking Scully who giggled. Giggled! Scully. Jesus. He'd never heard her make that sound before. It coursed like smooth liquid fire through his veins. Warming him completely from the inside. 

Scully moved to her other foot. "Then I'll gobble *this* one" She said in a fake voice and started to pretend to eat that one too. Sophie's laughing bounced around the room and Mulder saw tears of joy in her eyes. 

"Oh, no you don't" Mulder said and playfully grabbed at Scully. She giggled again as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off of Sophie's foot. "Quick, find the other sock." He told Sophie. He knew Scully could get away if she wanted to but she just pretended to struggle towards Sophie's foot for her benifit. She was laughing so hard as she searched around the bed for the missing sock.

"I finded it" She laughed and Mulder let Scully go and pulled on the sock before Scully could swoop down again. 

"You stole my tasty foot" She accused him and started toy fighting with him. "I'll have to eat *yours*" She said and grasped and wriggled at his sock. He felt such strange emotions flood through him. Was she flirting? She couldn't be. No, this had to just be for Sophie's benifit. It was way more physical contact than he'd ever had with Scully though and he felt himself flush a little. He pushed half heartedly at her and Sophie laughed louder. Scully eventually got his sock off.

"Pee hew" She said and tossed the sock up to Mulder's face "I can't eat those feet! They're too stinky!" She told him and winked at him. Sophie giggled and flopped down beside them both. They were all a little flushed and out of breath. Mulder felt a happiness he didn't think he'd ever had before. Such complete contentment. Just then the front door was banged hard. 

Scully jumped to her feet and quickly took in the sight of Sophie and Mulder. She nodded as if to herself as though she was happy with the way they looked. 

"Can you get Aaron, Mulder. Come on Sophie. Mrs Wilson is here"


	6. Chapter 6

Scully opened the door almost reluctantly to a gaudy old fashioned woman with grey hair pulled into a tight fierce bun and a high turtle neck.

"Good Morning, Mrs Wilson. Won't you come in?" Scully said stepping aside with a smile. Sophie hid behind her, clutching at her leg. The little girl looked shy. "How are you today?" Scully asked 

"You had a sleepy start?" The severe woman asked in a tone that suggested it wasn't a question. She walked in, ignoring Scully's friendly question and Scully shut the door behind her. 

She sat on the couch without even casting a glance at Scully or Sophie. She kept looking around the apartment as if she was looking for things to critique. 

"Umm... no, we just..." Scully was at a loss for what to say to the woman. Mulder walked over to them with Aaron at that exact moment. Mrs Wilson looked up for the first time.

"Hi, I'm Fox Mulder. I work with Dana. It's nice to meet you." Mulder said to her with a smile. Scully flushed a little at his use of her first name.

Sophie darted over to him and cuddled into his leg. Scully took Aaron from his arms.

"Yeah, Muller sleeped here and we maked Mummy fetfest in bed and we watched la telatubby and... and he saved my feets from Mummy cause her was try eats them" Sophie spoke up with excitement, clearly wanting the woman to share in her happiness. 

"She isn't your Mother, Sophie." She said in an eerily calm disinterested voice and Mulder felt her tiny hands clutch fiercely at his leg. Sophie didn't say anything back. She was in too much shock. Scully *was* her Mother and she couldn't understand why Mrs Wilson was saying she wasn't "I'm sure you're aware Miss Scully that having a casual partner over for the night isn't appropriate" Mrs Wilson said and started writing quickly on a note pad she produced from her bag. 

"Oh, no it's not like that. He's my partner... I mean, he's just my work partner. We just *work* together" Scully stuttered out nervously. Mrs Wilson scribbled on her pad more.

"Yeah, Muller is Mummy's friend and him's my friend too now. I'm him's Pincess. Eh, Muller." Sophie said in a defensive tone, not picking up on the tense nervous atmosphere. 

"You sure are." Mulder said and picked Sophie up. He felt so unbearably awkward. He hated the feeling in the room. The tension could be cut with a knife and Mulder knew it was probably his fault. He shouldn't have stayed! He'd made Scully look like a bad parent. One who had casual sex while her children were in the apartment. He felt awful for it. He hadn't even thought that it may look like that. He didn't know how to fix it though.

"I understand perfectly" Mrs Wilson said with a sneer that Mulder was sure was meant to be a smile. He chanced a glace at Scully who snuggled into Aaron in what looked like an attempt to calm herself down. His presence in her arms was soothing her and she nuzzled his soft hair for a second 

"Would you like some tea or coffee?" Scully asked Mrs Wilson.

"No, I doubt I'll be staying. I'd like to speak with you alone. I'm sure your *friend* can manage the children for a moment" Mulder could almost see poison dripping from her mouth. 

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure." She said. Mulder put Sophie down and took Aaron from her arms. He felt her shaking as he brushed passed her arms to get the baby. He didn't know Scully to be so nervous. The woman was a bitch though so no wonder she was scared. Scully had faced down liver eating mutants and fought cancer and he'd never seen her bravery waver like it was now.

He took Sophie by the hand and kept a tight hold on Aaron. He walked them into the bedroom leaving Scully looking vulnerable and so alone in the clutches of a vicious woman. He was leaving her to face an evil alone and although he knew he couldn't protect her from it it still made him anxious to leave her like that. 

"Did I do somesing bad?" Sophie asked as he shut the bedroom door.

"No, no Princess. You didn't do anything wrong at all. She's just a nasty lady" Mulder told her. Maybe he shouldn't have said she was nasty considering Sophie didn't quite understand the concept of keeping things quiet. He couldn't find it in him to really care though. Nasty was the nicest word he could use to discribe Mrs Wilson.

"Her say that Dana is no my Mummy" She whispered out and he heard the pain and struggle to understand in her voice. That woman was a serious bitch. He hated her for saying that when Sophie was there. He hated her for making Scully so on edge and most of all he hated her for ruining his blissful family morning. No matter how much he tried to tell himself it wasn't his family and it was going to harm him in the end to think of them as such he just couldn't help himself.

He didn't really know what to say back to Sophie to calm her. She might *not* be here biological Mother and they might not even get to stay with her. She *was* their Mother though, wasn't she? He felt for sure that Scully was the best thing that could have happened to the children. She was the best thing to happen to him and he was sure that she left all the life's she touched a lot brighter. The way she was with them left little space in his mind to think of her as anything other than their Mother.

"I think that she is your Mummy, Princess, but I think you have to decide those things for yourself" He told her. It was so hard to try and talk to an infant about something so important. He thought that was about the best he could have done though. He hoped it was anyway.

"I like her be my Mummy" Sophie told Mulder. "I loves her very much. She's my bestest" She told him in a small but sincere voice.

Mulder reached out and gave the girl a small cuddle. He didn't know what else to say to her so he just kissed the top of her head and moved with Aaron onto the floor.

Sophie got a bag of jigsaws out from under Scully's bed and they sat and done one together. Aaron chewed on his octopus and sat between Mulder's legs on the floor. Sophie was good at the jigsaw and hardly needed any help putting in the pegged wooden bits. 

Scully came in about an forty five minute's later. She had been gone for ages and when she showed back up in the doorway she had her make up and hair done. Mulder could still tell she'd been crying though. He'd worked with her long enough that every subtle change on her was extremely apparent to him. Or maybe it was because he loved her that he noticed everything about her?

"Hey guy's, you're doing a jigsaw? Sophie is so good at them. Aren't you, Sweetie" She said and crouched down next to them. She didn't even give Mulder a glance and he knew just by looking at her that her emotions were fragile and she was trying to compartmentalise. It was easier when she didn't look at him, he knew.

"Yup. Muller is good too. Him is help me." Sophie said as she twisted and turned a piece to fit it into the cats paw. The jigsaw only had five chunky pieces but it was a challenge for a toddler.

"Well... I was thinking...why don't we go to the park today?" Sophie's eyes brightened and a look of sheer joy came over her face. "Do you think that's a good idea?" Scully asked as if she didn't already know the answer. 

"Yeah! That's the bestest idea *ever*!" Sophie cried out. She stepped over the forgotten jigsaw and cuddled her Mum. "I can finds my shoeses myself" She said and scampered off to the livingroom. 

"Everything okay?" Mulder asked her when Sophie left. He didn't know if it was okay to ask her since she was always so closed off but he had to let her know he cared someway and asking seemed like the best way. She tended not to accept comfort from him so hugging her delicate frame was probably out of the question.

"No" She answered honestly but offered nothing further. She started clearing away the jigsaw.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry. I forgot you said she was coming. I should have woke you up. Shit, Scully. Can I fix this?" He asked. He felt awful. 

"It is *not* your fault, Mulder. It not anyone's." She sighed "She's just a bitch." She said with a cheeky smile and slid the jigsaw back under her bed. Mulder couldn't help but laugh at her. Scully never said anything like that and it was nice to hear she thought those things about people. It made her seem more human somehow. She blinked away a new wave of tears and sniffed. "Let's go to the park. I'll even buy you lunch" She smiled shakily at him. "I'll just go change Aaron first" She said and left the room.

He was overwhelmingly happy that she was just expecting him to go with them. Like a proper family. Scully came back into the room after hardly anytime had passed. She was definitely faster than Mulder was at changing a diaper. Mulder was about to ask her what Mrs Wilson had said to her when Sophie burst back into the room. 

"I gots my coat too and Aaron's baby shoes" She told them proudly juggling an armful of things. She sat down by Scully and Scully passed Mulder Aaron's shoe's with the silent request that he put them on. Scully got Sophie's shoes and coat on. She zipped the coat up and gave the little girl an Eskimo kiss that made the girl giggle in delight. She took Sophie to the toilet before they would walk to the park and Mulder managed to get Aaron's soft shoes on quickly. They were much easier to put on than his tiny socks.

"Ready?" She asked when she came back in with Sophie.

"Ready." Mulder confirmed and stood up with Aaron. Scully smiled and went to get the babies pram. Aaron went in without a fuss and Scully put in his octopus to keep him company. 

Scully told Mulder that Aaron loved being in his pram and going for walks. She seemed much more open with him. It might be because she wasn't actually opening up about herself but rather talking all about the children. Either way Mulder loved it and chatted back to her, hoping that keeping up his end of the conversation energetically would encourage Scully to keep on talking. 

The three of them made it out of the apartment eventually. Scully pushed the pram and Sophie held Mulder's hand. She was like a dog on a leash and pulled and pulled at him trying to get to the park faster. He chuckled and challenged her to a race when they got near the park and away from any roads. Sophie more than happily agreed and they decided Scully had to count them off.

"On your marks" Scully said and Sophie made a dramatic pose like a mini olympian athlete.

"Get set" 

"Go!" Scully shouted and Sophie ran as fast as her tiny legs would go. Mulder could very easily keep pace with her just by walking but he done a very slow pretend run to keep Sophie thinking it was a close race. 

"Aw... You've got such a beautiful family" a pleasant elderly woman told Scully as she started pushing the pram to catch up with Sophie and Mulder. "I wish my Albert would have played with our little one's like that" She said watching the two of them racing. Mulder couldn't hear what the woman was saying. He didn't even notice she was talking to Scully. If he hadn't been so intent on what he and Sophie were doing he would have seen Scully blushing.

"Thank you." Scully said back "I'm very lucky" She told the woman in a slight whisper. 

"Don't you let him get away" the woman said seriously "Mind due, if he really runs like that he won't go far" She joked and gave a small chuckle.

Scully smiled at her and kept walking. When she was out of earshot of the elderly woman she whispered under her breath. "I don't want to let him get away" She took a deep breath, blinked furiously and started chatting away to Aaron


	7. Chapter 7

Scully reached them and laughed as she saw Sophie sprawled dramatically on the grass breathing hard. Mulder sat beside her laughing away.

"Who won?" Scully asked although she was sure she knew the answer to it. Mulder would have let her daughter win, she was sure of it. Sophie sat up in the grass, her face flushed and a victorious grin shinning as she caught her breath.

"I winned!" She shouted in a proud voice. "Muller is real fast but I beated him" She said. She stood up having caught her breath. "Can I go play?" She asked Scully. 

At Scully's nod she darted off to the small childs play frame in the middle of the park. Scully and Mulder walked over to the bench to take a seat and watch her 

"So, uh, what did the social worker actually say?" Mulder asked her after a moment. He didn't want to push her and the bond between then seemed so new and fragile. They'd die for each other any given say of the week but this was different. This was vulnerable and tender and simply nothing like they normally were. He felt like he was encroaching on her personal life and he wasn't sure if he was at all welcome there.

"Long story short is that I'm a terrible Mother and she's going to recommend that they reevaluate my position in the children's life" Scully told him without meeting his eyes. He could tell from the mechanical way she spoke that she was concealing her emotions about it all. She'd clearly cried them out earlier before doing her make up.

"That's such bull shit, Scully. You're an amazing Mum." He went to reach out and hold her, to take away her pain, but he stopped in mid air and put his hand by his side.

"Yeah, well apparently amazing isn't good enough" She said and her voice started cracking with emotion. She was only good at holding things in for so long. Scully focused her attention on Aaron and Mulder knew it was just to distract herself. She played with his octopus and wiggled it in his face. Chatting and cooing away to him. 

"Can I do anything?" Mulder asked quietly. His mind kept spinning back to what he'd thought of earlier. He let it form solidly in his mind this time. 

If they were married then it would solve all of this nonsense. He'd be the 'partner' the will mentioned and he had more than enough money to support them all. Hell, he didn't really need to work another day in his life. When his father was murdered he had left Mulder a lot of money and three fantastic properties. He'd sold them all and was sitting on about three million dollars. He could easily look after them. He thought about it as if he didn't love her and it was just friendly but he knew better and that's what made it hurt so much to think of. He didn't know if he could pull off a fake marriage but he would try if that's what she wanted. He'd try anything for her no matter how much it stung.

"No. I wish there was something someone could do" her voice broke a little. "Can we stop talking about it?... please" She asked him and he saw a few stray tears slip down her face. His heart broke. Mulder just nodded and they continued to watch Sophie play in silence.

"Can you push me on la swings, Muller?" Sophie asked after running back to them.

"What do you say, Sophie" Scully prompted kindly.

"Please" She said quickly and Scully nodded with a smile.

"Of course I can, Princess. C'mon" He said and outstretched his hand for hers. He cast a look back at Scully who looked close to tears again and hurried off with the little girl.

Mulder got her into a baby swing with a little difficulty. Her legs seemed reluctant to go in, of course it didn't help that she was so excited she was kicking them and trying to hurry the whole thing along. When he eventually got her in safely he delighted in pushing her. Her shrieks and pleas to go higher and higher making his heart light. She told him emphatically that she was almost touching the clouds.

Scully came over after a long time. She'd been more than happy to sit and watch them and Mulder figured she wanted the time alone to compose herself.

"It's time for lunch you two." She said and Mulder slowed Sophie's swing down. He turned to Scully just to ask where they were headed for lunch and found himself fighting off the sudden urge to kiss her. It came from the blue and although he wanted to do it all the time this desire was even stronger than the others. 

The moment was just so utterly perfect. Sophie laughing and Aaron looking cosy and Scully, God, she was breathtaking. The wind whipped her hair around so it danced like fire. Mulder could definitely get over his fear if all fire played with his heart like that did. Her crystal blue eyes shone at him and he quickly turned away to avoid the desperate need. He wasn't sure where it had come from but he knew he needed to quell such things. It wasn't what either of them needed right now. It was cruel to lay his love on her now with everything going on. 

Mulder lifted Sophie out of her swing when it stopped. 

"Where is we go for lunch, Mummy?" She asked and refused to let go of Mulder when he tried to put her down. "My feets is too hurty, Muller. Carry me" She said.

"Sophie..." Scully started to remind her of her manners. 

"Please" She said quickly and Mulder shifted her so he could carry her easier.

"I thought we'd go to get you a hamburger" Scully told her.

"I loves them!" Sophie said happily "this is my bestest day *ever*, Muller" She whispered loudly near his ear and he chuckled. 

They got to a little café after a while and Scully set up a high chair for Aaron. She'd obviously been to the place before as she knew where everything was. Mulder lifted Sophie onto a seat next to him and Scully took out a small jar of baby food and handed it to a woman behind the counter. They spoke for a bit but Mulder couldn't hear what they were saying.

He picked up a menu and looked over the food section. It was just standard cafe fair and he settled on a burger and fries.

Scully came back and explained that the woman behind the counter was someone she'd been at high school with and that she was going to heat up Aaron's food for her. 

Sophie wiggled about in her seat and grabbed at her crotch. She looked upset and embarrassed. Mulder was about to ask what was wrong.

"Do you need the toilet, Sweetie?" Scully asked and Sophie nodded vigorously. "She's still sort of learning" She told Mulder and took the little girl's hand "Order us burgers. You okay with Aaron?" She asked and Mulder nodded as they walked away hand in hand. He gazed after them for a long moment lost in thought. 

Would Scully go for a marriage? He could explain it like it was just an easy arrangement. He didn't have to tell her he was in love with her. Maybe she'd do it. He would take whatever he could get and it wasn't like he would trick her. He wouldn't push any form of intimacy on her. It could be whatever she wanted it to be, he just wanted her to be happy and keep her children. They all obviously loved each other so much and he'd be damned if he'd stand by and let them be taken from Scully when he might be able to do something. Was it a stupid idea? He thought about it long and hard and couldn't see a down side to it. 

The waitress came over and he ordered them three burgers. He wasn't sure what to get Sophie to drink so he asked the woman if she knew what she normally drank. She told him she wasn't sure but that a fruit shot was the most popular drink for children her age. Mulder ordered one of those and two diet cokes for him and Scully. 

Scully and Sophie came back after a while and Sophie climbed up onto the seat next to Mulder. He kept an eye on her and his arm out incase she toppled a little. The chairs were much bugger than Scully's. She managed though and he eased. He didn't see Scully smiling at him as she watched. 

"My old Mummy did no let me news a big girl toilet but Mummy says I'm a big girl so I news one now." Sophie said with a small smile. "You fink I'm a big girl, eh Muller?"

"I sure do Princess. I bet your Mummy is so proud of you using the toilet like such a little grown up" Mulder said back. 

He felt a huge rift between him and Scully and so many things unspoken but talking to Sophie simplified things. It was easier to ignore the big problems when Sophie was chatting away easily about mundane things. It was easy to pretend that the thought that she might loss them wasn't looming over them. Mulder watched Scully out the side of his eye as she danced Aaron's octopus across the tray on the high chair.

"Here you go, Dana." She the waitress handing her a bowl and baby spoon. The stuff inside the bowl was a hideous dull orange and Mulder felt his face pull unbidden into a grimace. 

"Thanks, Laura" Scully said back and touched the middle of the orange goop to check the temperature. "It's perfect" She smiled at Laura.

"Don't sweat it. I still remember my kids being that young. I was so nervous to give them solids." Scully nodded. "How's he going with them?" She asked

"He's been pretty good actually. He mostly just likes to play with it though, he's still on milk every two to four hours so I don't worry. He's still a hungry baby." Scully smiled indulgently at Aaron who's chubby hands were trying to play in the bowl next to him on the tray.

"Well, atleast you've got help" Laura looked pointedly at Mulder and he saw Scully try to hide a blush. "My guy left dust in his wake and I always thought it'd be so much easier with someone else, ya know" Laura continued without noticing the change in Scully's demeanour. "I'll just go check up on your burgers" She said and left. 

"Is Muller a big help, Mummy?" Sophie asked and Scully flushed scarlet again. Mulder knew she didn't really know how to answer the question. He'd been in the children's life's all of one day and there were so many uncertainties surrounding everything. If they'd had a chance to talk properly maybe it would seem like a much easier question to answer. 

"He makes good jam on toast. Doesn't he?" Scully said "I don't think he's as much of a big help as you are though, Pumpkin" Scully told her and scooped some of the orange mixture onto the spoon and tried to give it to Aaron. Aaron blew raspberries and spat out most of the food. He obviously liked the taste of the drop he got though as he opened his mouth obediently for the next spoonful she offered him.

"What is that stuff, Scully?" Mulder asked her. Sophie swung her little legs and seemed content in a day dream. 

"It's pureed carrot, apple and sweet potato. He'd just on stage one baby food just now." 

"What, uh, age is he?" Mulder asked and felt a little badly that he had to ask. He wasn't sure why exactly but it felt like something he should know. 

"He'll be six months on Monday" She said and made baby faces at Aaron as he ate a few more spoonfuls. He spat most of it out and grew uninterested pretty quickly.

Scully gave up when their burgers came to the table. He'd eaten enough anyway. He was mostly still on milk and trying him out with a few different purees was just to get him used to different tastes and the feel of it in his mouth. 

"Here ya go." Laura said and passed them their burgers. "I'll be back with your juices in a sec. Want me to take that?" She asked indicating the bowl of barely touched baby food.

"Yeah, please. He'd done for the time being, I think" Scully smiled at her and passed her the bowl. 

"Mmm... it looks really good" Scully exclaimed out loud and Mulder knew she was mostly acting so enthusiastic for Sophie. He'd had lunch and dinner at diners across the country with her more times than he could count and she never acted as interested in her food.

"Mhm... It's gon be yum" Sophie said back but sat patiently looking at her food. Scully cut her own food up into tiny bite sized pieces and swapped her plate with Sophie's. 

"Fanks" She said and dug into her burger. She made a grossed out face and pulled out bits of tomato and lettuce from her mouth. She then went about rummaging through the rest of her food to find all the bits and pile them up on her napkin. 

"Here ya go" Laura said and placed the cokes and fruit shoot down. Laura walked away and Scully looked down at the juice bottle. Her eyebrow's shoot up.

"A fruit shoot, Mulder, really? Do you have any idea what's in those things? The amount of artificial colours alone is enough to make her swing from the ceiling" She scolded him with a frown. 

"I didn't know that" Mulder told her through a mouthful of fries, feeling badly. 

"I wants it, Mummy! I will no go on la swings. I can has it!" Sophie told her nodding her head. A little serious look on her face. She was adorable when she was trying to be firm. She was so stubborn but it was so cute. Such a mini Scully.

"Okay but you're only getting it this once, Sophie" Scully told her firmly. Mulder could tell she was reluctant to let her have the drink but given that she'd already seen it Scully didn't have much choice.

"Sorry, Scully" Mulder told her sincerely. He felt guilty for being the reason Scully had to let her daughter have something she wasn't comfortable with. 

"It's fine, Mulder. My Mother has them tonight anyway so we won't have to deal with the crash" She laughed to him. Trying to joke so that it made him feel less guilty about getting Sophie it without her permission. She started munching down her burger.

They ate in silence for a while and then Mulder felt Sophie stirring beside him. She was pulling and pulling at the cap of her juice. Her little face screwing up and her arm shaking. Scully was focused on eating and entertaining Aaron so she didn't see Sophie's struggle. 

Mulder felt another surge of love and overwhelming happiness buzz in his veins at the sight of the red headed little girl trying diligently to open her bottle herself. His mind flashed back to the countless times he'd helped Scully with juice bottles. The parallel was not lost on him.

"Do you want a little help, Princess?" He asked her and Scully glanced over for a moment to see what the problem was. Satisfied that it was nothing serious she went back to eating her burger roll and moving Aaron's octopus around for him. The baby boy babbled incessantly and grinned toothlessly at her 

"I am try my very hardest but it is just no opens" Sophie told him, her voice laced with frustration. Her face juddered in effort as she pulled at it again. 

Mulder leaned over and opened her juice easily. He pulled up the sport's cap top and gave it to her. 

"Fanks, Muller" She said and gulped it down 

"Is it tasty?" Mulder asked.

"Mhm. It's real tasty" She told him and started eating her burger again. 

They finished their meals and Scully got Aaron cleaned up and went to the bathroom to change his diaper. She got him back in his pram and she took Sophie to the toilet again before they left to walk home and left Mulder with Aaron. 

While Mulder watched over the baby he swore he felt someone's eyes on him. He looked around but didn't see anyone. It was an odd sickening feeling though. Scully always did say he was paranoid so maybe that's all it was. He shook his head at himself and ignored the horrible feeling


	8. Chapter 8

The walk back to Scully's apartment seemed to take much longer and Mulder ended up carrying a half dozing Sophie most of the way.

They get back in after a long time and Scully told him that they should put them down for a proper half hour nap so they weren't too grumpy for her Mum. 

He tucked Aaron into his cot and went up behind Scully as she stood watching over Sophie. He squashed down the urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her back to his torso. It was getting harder to ignore the feelings he had for her. He would manage though. He'd never do anything to harm their friendship and there was even more at stake if he was going to try and talk to her about his plans. His feelings just couldn't factor into the equation and he knew it.

"Let's let her sleep" He told her from behind her back. He made sure not to touch her.

Scully nodded and they both left the room and she shut the door quietly. 

"She normally doesnt nap this late in the day. I hope she won't be hard to put down tonight" She said. She seemed nervous to be alone with him somehow and Mulder wasn't sure why. "It's probably because she was tired out at the park" She was wittering on and she was starting to make Mulder nervous. She went to the fridge and got him an iced tea and a bottle of water for herself. "Or maybe she crashed from the sugar." She moved to the couch beside him "I don't normally give her anything like that so maybe it was all too much for her" She passed him the bottle of iced tea and he opened his and then reached for hers. "Maybe I should go with them to my Mum's. You know, make sure they're not up all night." 

"Calm down, Scully. It's just me" Mulder said interrupting her in the most soothing tone he could manage. 

To his total surprise she burst into tears. Where the hell did that come from? He knew he had a look of pure shock on his face and he pulled her into his arms. To hell with denying them both physical comfort when she needed it. It was just friendly anyway he told himself. He just wanted to help her.

"Don't Mulder. Please don't... I can't stand you pretend..." She cut off abruptly "They're going to take them away, aren't they?" She sobbed out and pulled quickly away from him. He rubbed her back as she crouched in on herself and hid her face. "I can't do this" She wailed and fell back into him. 

He held her for a long time as she cried. He'd never seen her like this before and his heart felt clamped in a vice with the noises she made as she cried. She seemed so broken. When she'd cried last night it hadn't been this bad. The open vulnerable sobs made his own eyes water. He screwed them shut and cuddled her tightly. 

"Shh... it's okay. I'm right here, Scully. I'm right here. Shh..." He soothed her and stroked her back up and down. He felt her nails dig in a little at his own back as she cried, like she needed something solid, something to ground her. She calmed down after a long while and pulled away. Her body kept shaking and she wouldn't look at him. 

"You're a brilliant Mum, Scully. Don't ever let yourself think any differently" Mulder told her. He wasn't really sure what else to say to her at that moment. It didn't exactly seem like the time to bring up his, probably terrible, plan but maybe doing it now was for the best. She probably couldn't get anymore upset than she already was so it was probably the perfect time he mused.

"I, I want to ask you something" He said nervously and she turned and faced him properly. Her tears had dried and he could see her freckles where her make up had run. Streaks of porcelain skin dotted with sprinkles of light chocolate. She raised her eyebrow's at him asking him silently to carry on.

"Will you marry me?" He blurted out. Crap. That *so* wasn't the plan! He hadn't even explained his reasoning to her. He'd just got so worked up and when his courage had mustered together he'd just out and asked. He mentally slapped himself. Scully's eyebrow's met her hair line and her mouth hung open. She sat in silent shock for a good few seconds.

"You're serious" She said. He could tell from her expression she knew he was. He knew her so well and Scully knew he wouldn't joke about it at a time like this. They were always truthful with each other. Her facial expression changed and she looked so confused and conflicted.

"Oh, Mulder... Look I, I won't lie to you and say I haven't thought about it. About us. Quite frequently actually... Although I must say I never expected *that* sort of proposal" She tried to joke "and seeing you with Sophie and Aaron today... It just made it... I mean... It's a nice fantasy to weave for ourselves, isn't it? but... it wouldn't work, Mulder. I have to think of my children right now. I'm sure you can understand that?" Scully said. She put her hand in his and rubbed it gently. She gazed at him with an emotion he'd never seen in her eye's before. Was it pity? That had to be it. She smiled a little at him.

Mulder didn't know what she was talking about. What she'd just said made zero sense and he could tell she had wanted to say more. His brain just supplied that she hadn't actually said 'no', just that it wouldn't work. He'd show her that it would. He'd explain to her how it could work out for the best. 

"Scully... I meant that we could get married for..." A quick knock came at the front door. Scully gave him a shy smile and let go if his hand. She went to answer her door.

She stepped on tip toe to look through the peep hole. She gave a confused look and opened the door.

"Uh, hey, Mum" She said and Maggie Scully came bustling into the apartment.

"Hi honey, I know I'm a bit early. I was going to call. I was in town for lunch with my old friend Helen, you remember Helen? Anyway, I figured I'd just come straight here after. Where are my gorgeous grandchildren?" Mrs Scully asked as she looked around the apartment. Her eyes caught on Mulder. "Oh, hello, Fox" She said and seemed to catch herself at the sight of him sitting on her daughter's couch.

"Hi, Mrs Scully." Mulder said and stood up. He suddenly felt even more out of place than he had before. "I was actually just gonna head off" He lied. He had his back turned at that moment so he didn't see Scully pale at the thought of him leaving. He went and grabbed his coat and the go bag that now held his dirty clothes.

"No!" Scully said and surprised everyone in the room, including herself by the look of it "I mean... the children will be upset if you leave without saying goodbye to them" She quickly added. "I'll have to wake them up in a minute anyway or they won't sleep tonight, especially Sophie." She turned to her Mum "They practically slept the whole way back from the park so they've had enough of a nap" She said and glanced between her Mother and Mulder.

"Oh, you all went to the park? That's lovely. Sophie loves going on the swings." Mrs Scully said.

"Uh, yeah. Mulder spent most of the time pushing her" Scully smiled. "Do you want some coffee, Mum? Or tea?" She asked.

"A coffee would be lovely" Mrs Scully said back and went to sit on the couch. 

"I'll get it, Scully. You go wake up the kids." Mulder told her and felt another small rush at what he'd just said and how it seemed like such a family thing to do. 

Mulder hadn't thought about the fact that it would leave him and Mrs Scully alone. How awkward. She had always been kind to him though and he liked her a lot. It still felt awkward to have been caught at her daughters apartment. Caught? No, not *caught*. Why did it feel like that?

"Thank you, Fox" Maggie said and excused herself to go to the bathroom. At least her need to use the toilet had taken away the awkwardness of trying to make small talk with her. He doubted she wanted to try and talk to her daughters paranoid partner no matter how kind she was to him.

He went about making the coffee and let his mind wander over what had happened just before Maggie had shown up. What the hell did Scully mean? She'd thought about it? Had she had the same plan and figured out a way it wouldn't work? He couldn't understand it. Maybe he'd get the chance to speak to her properly when Maggie took the kids. Or would she expect him to leave at the same time? 

Maggie came back through just as the coffee was finishing up. Mulder could distinctly hear Sophie grumbling and Scully soothing her. He couldn't exactly make out her words but he was sure he heard her mention her Granny Maggie being there. 

"What do you take in your coffee, Mrs Scully?" Mulder asked her as she took a seat at the dinning table.

"Oh, just milk is fine." She said with a smile. Mulder poured her coffee and fixed one for himself and Scully too. He spied a sippy cup in the cupboard and filled it with water for Sophie. Hopefully water didn't hold some secret chemical he was unaware of that Scully wouldn't want her daughter drinking. 

"How was your lunch?" He asked Maggie as he took a seat opposite her at the table. He felt so weird sitting at Scully's table, chatting away to her Mother while she woke up the children. It was all too much like the domestic bliss he knew he didn't deserve.

"It was lovely. We just went to a little café. We'd never been before but the carrot cake will definitely make us go back again" She told him and sipped at her coffee "Did you finish work early today?" She asked him. 

"Uh, no. Actually, I took the day off." He said. He didn't like the way the conversation might head. He didn't want Mrs Scully to get the same impression as the social worker.

"So you could take the children to the park with Dana?" She asked and he swore he could see a twinkle in her eye.

"Well... that wasn't exactly why but, uh, I guess spending time with Scu, Dana and the children was a factor" He said. He wanted to be as honest as possible with her but he didn't want to get her asking a bunch of questions he didn't have the answers for.

"I see. Listen, Fox..." She lowered her voice "I may be older but I still remember what it was like to be young and in love. I know you'll always do what's best for Dana and the children so you don't have to worry about me being judgemental. You saved my little girl's life so perhaps I'm bias but you're a good man, Fox. Just keep my little girl and her children happy" She smiled at him. He felt a strong acceptance, one he hadn't even gotten off of his own parents. She seemed happy for him to be a part of their life's. 

"We're not... I mean.. Love hasn't, uh, I was just helping out" He stumbled over his words. He didn't want her to go around telling Scully he loved her. *He* hadn't even told her that yet.

"Don't feel the need to lie, Fox. I already know how my daughter feels about you. I'd be a fool not to. I'm not at all surprised to see you here, put it that way. Truth be told I had thought it would have happened a long time ago." She smirked at him and drank more coffee.

He was about to try and formulate a response when he heard the pitter patter of tiny feet rushing to the livingroom.

"Ganny!" Sophie shouted excitedly.

"Sophie!" She shouted back in the same tone and picked the little girl up to swing her around a little in her arms.

"Is we still gon stay at your house?" She asked as she hugged her Gran tightly.

"Yes, you are and do you know what?" She said to Sophie as she let her down out of her arms. 

"What?" She asked

"I need someone to help me bake some cakes. Do you think *you* could help?" She asked Sophie and picked her up and put her on the chair next to hers as she sat back down.

Sophie nodded enthusiastically "Yeah, I maked toast for Mummy's fetfest with Muller and her say I'm a little chef. I can helps" She beamed at her Gran.

"That's wonderful. I knew I could count on you" She said and took another sip of her coffee. Mulder winced a little at what Sophie had said. She might as well have told Mrs Scully he'd spent the night. It was obvious. He hoped she still thought he was a 'good man' after knowing that.

Mulder heard Aaron crying and figured he'd been woken up and was not too happy about it. A second later Scully came into the room rocking him and trying to sooth him. 

"Sorry. He's always a little grumpy when he gets woken up. If I let him sleep any longer he won't sleep tonight though" She told them. 

"Why is him always *loud*!?" Sophie shouted and it make Aaron cry even louder. Scully rocked him around and bounced him a little.

"Oh, I know baby, I know. You're alright. Shh... did Mummy wake you up when your still tired huh. Oh, my poor baby boy. Shh..." She kept mumbling away to him. 

"Can we play wiff my jigsaws, Muller?" Sophie asked with her hands over her ears. She obviously wanted out of the kitchen and away from Aaron's crying. 

Scully caught what she said and gave Mulder what he could only call a pleading look. 

"Sure we can, Princess. Let's go through and play" He told her and Scully mouthed a silent 'Thank you' to him. He smiled at her and grabbed Sophie's cup of water. Sophie climbed down from the chair and took him by the hand to go to the bedroom to play


	9. Chapter 9

Mulder played with Sophie's jigsaws with her for a relatively long time, he heard Aaron calm down and Scully and her Mother talking away to one another. Being with Sophie gave him plenty time to think seriously about things since doing jigsaws and talking about red things didn't require his whole mind. He kept going back to marrying Scully. His constantly single minded focus was fixated on it and short of Scully giving him an out and out 'No' he wasn't going to let the idea go.

Mulder kept quelling the unease he felt in his stomach. He got a little of it at the café and he couldn't exactly put his finger on why. Perhaps the whole situation was getting too much for him. He hoped he could talk properly to Scully soon once the kids went away for the weekend. No more interruptions. 

Scully came through after a while and Sophie looked up at her and smiled. 

"It's time to get ready to go, Sweetie" Scully said to the toddler. Mulder felt Scully's eyes on him but he didn't look up to meet them. He wasn't sure why but he felt nervous to look at her.

"NO! I is no want to nomores!" She shouted to Scully. She didn't look up at her mum but she looked at Mulder almost as if she was begging him to let her stay. 

"Granny Maggie needs you to help make her cakes remember. It'll be so much fun" Scully tried to reason with her. Hoping that the lure of baking cakes would sway her into going 

"No. I is stay wiff my Daddy!" Sophie said with an air of assertiveness. Scully and Mulder caught each others eyes at her calling him Daddy. His stomach dropped harshly but his heart rose in delight. He wasn't sure what to do and it seemed like Scully didn't either.

"You can't stay here, Sophie. You don't want to leave Granny Maggie lonely. She loves seeing you" Scully said kindly, skipping over what Sophie had called Mulder entirely. 

Sophie started to cry. She lunged for Mulder and he glanced up at Scully. His expression shouting at her to help him. Sophie cuddled into him and cried. He rubbed her back but kept his eyes on Scully. He couldn't even put a name to what was flowing between them in their locked gaze. Mulder mentally shook himself.

"Come on, Princess. We can't leave your Granny Maggie lonely, can we?" He said and kissed her head. She leaned back to look at him.

"I is want stay wiff you" She cried.

"How about your mummy *and* me come to pick you and Aaron up on Sunday?" He told her and glanced at Scully who nodded. "I'll see you then. Wouldn't that be ok?" He asked her. He hoped that the plan was for Scully to pick them up and he wasn't ruining any plans she might have had.

"I is gon miss you too much" She sobbed out.

"I'll miss you too." He said. He doubted he'd meant anything more in his life. "You have to spend time with your Granny though. I'll see you on Sunday. I might even convince your Mum to let us have some of your cereal then" At that thought she brightened a little bit. She still clung to him though.

"Can I tells you somesing?" She asked. He nodded and she whispered in his ear "I wishes you was aloud be my Daddy" She looked so sad about her confession. He didn't even chance a look at Scully. He knew she'd heard what Sophie had said. She wasn't the quietest at whispering. 

Mulder hesitated, it wouldn't be appropriate to tell her that he did too. It would just mess with her head if he was hardly in their life's after this weekend. He settled for giving her a small kiss on her forehead. He felt his eyes sting.

"Alright, Sophie. Say goodbye and I'll go and get Aaron into his car seat." Scully said and quickly left the room. Mulder didn't miss the look of sadness in her eyes. 

"Come on then. Let's get you ready." He told her as he got her shoes and jacket from the dresser at the corner of the room where Scully had left them.

He turned back and saw Sophie sitting looking forlorn into the distance. He chose not to draw attention to her sadness.

"Right, Princess. Let's get your shoes on" He said and sat down next to her and put them on. They were easy to put on. He felt like a pro at small shoes now and he pulled the velcro tight and fastened it. 

"Okay, Coat on next" Sophie stood up obediently. 

"Is I gon see you again?" She asked and sniffed a little. 

"Yes. I told you I'll come with Mummy to pick you up on Sunday, remember." He said with a smile. He couldn't blame her for feeling sad and missing him when he felt the exact same way. 

"Otay" She said as he got her coat fastened. She buzzed off flapping her arms into the livingroom. He loved that about children; how their moods were so easily changed and they believed what they were told. They never seemed to hold grudges or stay upset over something. They were so free. 

Mulder stood up and walked through to where she'd buzzed off to. Scully's Mum already stood with her jacket on and holding Aaron's car seat. 

"Did you want to say goodbye, Fox?" She asked and set Aaron down. Mulder looked anxiously between them for a split second. Of course he wanted to say goodbye to him. The mere thought of letting the tiny baby boy out of his sight sent chills through him. He didn't know if that was okay though. He didn't think he was really meant to love them this much already.

Mulder leaned over the car seat and gave Aaron a small kiss to his forehead. He wanted to tell him he loved him, to tell him he'd always be there for him, to tell him he thought of him as his son. He couldn't do any of that though so he blinked back a tear and pulled away. He felt like letting them go tonight might somehow mean he was letting them go forever. That this night away was enough to break his fantasy.

"Be good for your Granny" He said and the baby just gave him his cute toothless smile. He felt his heart ache for him, already missing him.

"I is gon be good too, Muller" Sophie piped up. She was obviously not happy to find herself not the center of Mulder's attention. Daddy's girl, his mind supplied and he squashed it down as soon as it had formed. 

"I know you will be, Princess. Come and give me a cuddle goodbye" He told her. She walked quickly over to him and he crouched down so she could enfold him in her arms.

"I loves you" She said in her normal loud whisper. He held back tears. He probably shouldn't say it back. It might confuse her or Scully might be mad at him. To hell with it he thought. 

"I love you too" He told her in a small voice and squeezed her tightly. 

He let her go and Scully cuddled her too.

"Alright, well we'll leave you two to it. Have fun." Mrs Scully said as she took Sophie's hand and carried Aaron's car seat.

"Bye bye" She said with a wave so that Sophie would copy her and wave bye too.

The door clicked shut with an odd sort of finality.

Scully breathed out loudly and walked over to the couch. 

"Should we, um, talk?" She asked. Mulder felt his heart flip in his chest. He wanted to talk, *really* talk, but it terrified him. He knew he'd been a bit hasty with his proposal before but would she listen to his reasoning now?

"I think so" Mulder told her and walked to sit on the couch with her.

"We're not talking" She said with a small shy laugh after a few minutes had passed.

"Sorry" He said sheepishly "Okay... um, so, I was thinking that we should get married and then I'd be the partner the will says you need. We could say we've been together for a long time but that we didn't want to push the regulations of the FBI by flaunting our relationship but you're leaving to look after the kids so we can be honest about it now. They could ask anyone at the bureau and they'd say that we were together. The rumour mill has been practically running on things about us since we become partners. I've got enough money to support us too, Scully, so you could stay with them all day if, if you wanted to." He told her. He'd been practising a little but it all seemed to go out of his head as he spoke to her. It wasn't as suave as he'd have liked it to be but it would do the job. It got over what he wanted to day. 

"That's why you... um... the children. Of course it was. Oh, God, I'm such an idiot." She said and he blinked at her not understanding.

"What do you mean?" She shook her head "Scully... you have to be honest right now. We both do. Please" He said. He was practically ready to beg her to explain herself if she wouldn't. He didn't understand. His brilliant mind failing him.

"I mean that... if we, if we were, uh, married then what exactly do you expect to... I, um, would you be their, their Father? I'd want... That is, I think they'd want that and I just... God, Mulder. What are we even thinking here?! That we'd have some sort of marriage of convenience? See each other when the children were around and when they weren't you'd be off sleeping with someone else. It couldn't work. I couldn't just switch off and be okay with... I... this is ridiculous, Mulder." She was getting angry. He hated it when she got angry with him. She had one hell if a fierce temper when she really got going. 

"You're worried I'd sleep with someone? Where did that come from?" He asked slightly stunned. 

"You know what, just forget it. By the sounds of things I won't even have them another week so what's the point in even trying to talk about this?" She asked.

"There's every point. We can help stop it. It would adhere to the will and it would explain why I was here when the social worker came. Shit, Scully, we're practically married already considering the amount of time we're together and how wrapped up in each other lives we are." He told her. His voice was starting to raise and he felt a little badly for it but, damn it, why couldn't she listen to him. It made sense didn't it? Scully just sat in silence and it seemed as if she were at a loss for words. 

"It makes sense, doesn't it? I can't see how it wouldn't work. Scully?" He implored her to see reason.

"Christ... Okay, look, It wouldn't work because I can't just..." She sighed and took fascination in her socks. Having taken her shoes off sometime before which Mulder was glad of, It made her less likely to be a flight risk. Scully had a habit of running from things she didn't want to face. "I doubt I could stop myself from - from... but you're right. I have to try, for them. It does make sense." She huffed and he saw the glitter in her eyes of unshed tears.

"I, Is that a yes?" He asked and tried to keep the hope out of his voice. 

"Yes" She breathed. He smiled bigger than he ever thought he had before. He knew it wasn't a real marriage but she's just pledged herself to him, til death do they part. He was going to live his life with her! His heart galloped at the thought.

"Why don't you think it'll work? I promise to do my fair share in everything. I'll do whatever I can to make it work, Scully. I know it's not what you'd have wanted in a marriage but we're best friends, people have been married with a lot less. I know you don't, um, feel that way about me but we'd make it.." He broke off as she snorted/laughed out a strange broken sort of sound.

"Sorry" She said and looked at him briefly before studying her socks again.

"What is it?" He asked. He was terrified of the answer but he felt like he needed to know. Wasn't communication the key to any relationship.

"Nothing" She said sadly. She stood abruptly. "So what will we do? Just go to City Hall tomorrow? There's no waiting period. I'm sure my Mum would forgive me. We'd have to break it pretty gently to Sophie though, she might be a little confused." She started talking away. Scully was always best when she had something to focus on and plan, like this. It stopped her from letting her emotions come into play.

"We'll do whatever you think is for the best." He told her and she sat back down. He didn't know why she had stood up in the first place and he'd bet she didn't either. Maybe it was just a small way of gaining the upper ground and distancing herself. 

"What were you going to say, Scully? Before? Why did you laugh... well, snort at me?" He said and turned his body on the couch to face her better. He wanted to try and read her mind and see what the hell was going on. Was it really that laughable marrying him?

"Just leave it alone, Mulder" She said in a pleading tone. He couldn't leave it though. How could she expect him to?

"I can't, Scully. I can't just leave it alone. Am I doing something wrong here? You're hardly even talking about how you *feel*. You're already set on making plans and utterly avoiding any emotional involvement" 

"That's the problem, Mulder." She stood up again and paced a little "It *is* emotional. Perhaps too much so. I'm not sure I can just turn that off to play house." Mulder had no clue what she was talking about. Emotional? Like their friendship might get ruined? No. What then? She couldn't pretend to play house? What the hell did that mean? 

"I wouldn't be playing at anything" He told her.

"And, I mean, what happens when you meet someone and fall in love. I'm just meant to explain that to the children? Or am I meant to keep you from happiness?" She was still pacing a little and her eyes still glistened with tears. Mulder had the feeling she wasn't really talking to him, more that she was vocalising a problem.

"That will never happen, Scully" He told her. He already *was* in love and he doubted he'd ever fall out of it.

"How can you be sure? God, I shouldn't even be doing this" 

"I'm already in love and I seriously doubt I'll ever fall out of it" She stopped pacing quickly and sort of flopped to the couch. All the air felt like it had fled the room. He felt like such an idiot for admitting to that but he couldn't think of anything else to calm her fears.

"You never told me that. You have a girlfriend? How will she feel about all this? This is stupid, Mulder." He laughed at her. A girlfriend. Now that was funny. She stared at him in shocked annoyance and stood back up. "I don't appreciate being laughed at, Mulder" She told him in a stern voice.

"Oh, honey, no. I'm not laughing *at* you." 

"Honey? Mulder, really!?" She was getting even more annoyed now. She thought he was making fun if her. He couldn't help but find it ridiculous though. How could she not know? Screw it, he'd tell her. Honesty is the nest policy right.

"It's you, Scully. I'm in love with *you*, you idiot." He was still laughing a little. She sat back down quickly. More like collapsed really. She stared at him for a long time. 

His laughter died and he felt like a fool. A horrible heart shattering feeling encompassed him. Why had he admitted that. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. He felt like such a moron. Now she definitely wouldn't marry him. He'd just given up his chance of the life he'd always wanted but never dared to dream he'd have. He'd probably never even get to see Sophie and Aaron again.

"I... tell me again?" She pleaded, turning further towards him. He looked directly at her and felt his blood run cold in fear.

"I'm in love with you." He whispered and swallowed down his cowardice. Her eyes were wide open and staring at him intently as if she was trying to look for a lie. She hitched in a breath.

"Me too. God, Mulder. Me too" She whispered out. Her body was visibly shaking. He couldn't get his mind to wrap around what she'd just said. She loved him? He felt warmth seep through him and heat up the icy tendrils of fear that sat in his veins. She loved him?! Could he kiss her? 

He leaned over slowly, so slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull away if she hadn't really meant it. She moved towards him, her pace just as hesitant. Each worrying the other would see reason and run for the hills. Her mouth parted before their lips had even touched and he could feel her breath tickling him. She was taking shaky inhales and panting it out. Her hand came to the back of his neck and he placed his at her slim waist.

Their lips eventually touched and it was like fireworks. Mulder could swear he almost felt the world stop spinning. Her perfect pouty lips were so damn soft! He heard her gasp and she pushed her tongue forcefully into his mouth. 

Her hands grasping and stroking quickly through his hair. And *he*'d been worried about going too fast. She was ravenous for him. Her mouth pulled back a little so she could suck and bite lightly on his plump lower lip. 

He groaned and his hands fell, almost of thier own accord to her ass. He cupped and caressed it. Pulling her body closer to his. She pulled his head closer, moaning into the kiss. Her tongue duelled passionately with his. He never thought he'd get the chance to kiss her. He counted himself lucky when she even hugged him. This was amazing. 

He pushed on her ass again. Desperate for more contact. She growled. Growled. Dear God. He felt his cock harden to an almost painful point as she did. Then she somehow moved herself so she was straddling him. Never breaking their heated kiss Her core and his cock only separated by the thin barrier of their clothing. She gasped and drew her mouth away for a second. "Jesus, Mulder" She panted and looked him dead in the eye as she ground her hips over his. Their cores bucking and grinding together. 

She had a look of awe and shock on her face and he figured she was as amazed by this as he was. He was sitting with an armful of the love of his life who was grinding into him. He doubted he'd ever get luckier than tonight. She panted and leaned down to kiss him again. The friction was surprisingly nice on his dick. This was Scully! Anything she did or made him feel was more than nice. It was fucking fantastic.

They were both jarred out of their amazing moment as the phone went. She grumbled and went to get off his lap and answer it. He grabbed her arm. "Ignore it" He didn't want this moment ruined. 

"I can't. It might be about the kids" She gave him and apologetic glance. "Why don't you go and wait for me in the bedroom?" She said with a small smirk and a raise of her eyebrow's. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to a flirty Scully.

He went off to the bedroom and she answered the phone. 

Hr swithered about stripping his clothing off. He would be a fool to believe this was going to be anything but a frenzied coupling and that would help it along. He didn't though, he wanted to feel her delicate hands tearing his clothes off of his body. He sprawled out in the bed. He'd taken his socks off since there was never really a sexy way to do that. He lay bare foot waiting to make love to the love of his life. How the hell did he get so lucky?

Scully bustled back into the bedroom. "My Mum's in hospital. I, I have to go" She said and stumbled out of the room. He quickly got up and hauled his socks on. He followed her through to the livingroom where he found her on the couch pulling on her shoes. 

"What happened? Is she going to be okay? Do you want me to bring the kids back here while you stay with her?" He rushed out in a single breath. Why couldn't they catch a damn break? 

"They can't *find* the children, Mulder"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments :-D they make my day!

They made it to the hospital. Scully had hardly spoken on the way there, other than to shout at him to drive faster. He'd tried asking about the children but she just cried and sobbed. What the hell was going on, he wondered. What did she mean they couldn't find the children? He felt a sickening plummet in his soul.

"Margaret Scully?" Scully said quickly to an attendant near the front desk at the hospital, tears still on her cheeks. The man looked pretty flummoxed but when he saw the look on her face he frowned in empathy and the man walked to a computer.

"Hmm... Let's see, oh, she's just been moved from ICU..." 

"Hurry up!" She shouted frantically. She was getting so frustrated that he seemed to be going so slowly. Why couldn't he see how desperate she was. The man looked at Mulder as if telling him that she was crazy.

"We're with the FBI. It's extremely urgent" he told him by way of apology. 

"I see. Uh, Ward 3. Room 314" Scully was off the second he finished telling them the room number. She navigated hastily and easily through the familiar place. "The P.D are already there" He said to Mulder's back as he left and went after Scully.

She twisted around the door frame of her Mother's room and was confronted but three men in uniform hovering by her Mother's bedside. She cast her eyes towards her Mum and saw she had been intubated. The twisting thick tube curled away from her mouth to the ventilator. The room spun dramitically for her and she felt her stomach spasm at the sight. Her mother. Oh, God. Why couldn't she breath alone?! What the hell had happened to her?

She felt her legs start to buckle and someone grabbed her gently around the waist. Mulder. He'd just walked in and seen the situation and caught Scully as she was about to collapse.

"Can someone get her a chair?" He shouted and three sets of eyes fell on him. 

"Who are you?" One of them asked as he motioned to a chair sitting by Margaret Scully's bedside. 

"She's her daughter" Mulder told him and moved the floppy dead weight of Scully into a chair. He was no doctor but he had taken the mandatory first aid course the bureau required. He knew to lean her head down between her legs to get oxygen to her brain and help stop her passing out atleast.

"The children's Mother? We have some questions for her" another said in a gruff voice.

"Well I doubt she'll be answering you anytime soon." Mulder hissed out "What the fuck is going on?!" He practically screeched at the three men. 

"I'm afraid that given there are children missing we cannot discuss details with a civilian. Family and law enforcement only. We're going to have to ask you to step outside." The third one said. He felt his head whipping between them and they all stared back at him. 

"I'm her FBI partner." He spat out. He pulled out his ID and showed it to the three men. "Now, what's going on?" Scully swayed a little and he rubbed at her back. She was pretty out of it. He'd never seen her lose it so much before. She was always surrounded by this sort of thing but perhaps seeing her Mother like this was too much for her. Not to mention the children's absence.

"We received a call from the hospital about Mrs Scully and came promptly here. We're waiting for her to wake up so she can see a sketch artist. We've put out an amber alert for" He opened a note pad "Sophie and Aaron Scully." 

"What's wrong with my Mum?" Scully asked from beside Mulder and sat up. Her face was sheet white and her eyes seemed quick but oddly vacant as though she couldn't process all of this at once.

"We're afraid were not entirely certain, Miss Scully. When she came in she had all the symptoms of being exposed to a toxic gas. We have had teams trace her residence but we can't find a residual trace of any such poisonous substance. Thankfully the doctor has said she just needs time for her respiratory system to exhale every trace of the unknown toxin. She was having trouble breathing alone so he's hooked her up to the ventilator as you can see just to help her. It looks frightening but she'll be fine." The first one to speak to Mulder said. He seemed calmer than the others, not as quick to dismiss their worry in haste to solve a case. "He has given her a strong dose of a drug called Naproxen to try and help with any lung inflammation although it's purely cautionary as he sees no damage at all to her lungs. It's just a waiting game now though, I'm afraid" He told her. Under any other circumstance Mulder would expect Scully to pipe up and start spouting some medical jargon and making sure they knew she was an M.D. 

"Where are my children?" She asked quietly and clutched for Mulder's hand. He gave her it and stroked soothing patterns over the back of her's.

"We're working under the assumption that an unknown assailant has them. I'm sorry. Were doing all we can to find them." He told her, in the same kind and calm voice. Scully's face crumpled and she took in a huge heaving lung full of air. Her grip on Mulder's hand tightened. Mulder felt as though all the air had been punched out of his lungs, leaving him hollow. Who had the children? What the hell had happened?! 

"You stay here with your Mum." He said to her "I think we should give them some time alone" He said to the men. The officers nodded and left the room. Mulder went to walk with them but Scully wouldn't let go of his hand. Her tiny fingers clutching at him. "I'll be back" He assured her.

"I, I didn't say it. I should have told you. I should have... I mean, you *know* but I didn't actually *say* it. I was afraid. I've never told someone it before. I've never felt it before but I, I should have told you" She said through tears. She seemed to be talking to herself more than to him. He didn't know what she meant.

"What?" He asked in a whisper and brushed his lips over her knuckles.

"I'm in love with you too" She breathed out. His heart lept at the words. She made them sound so amazing. She gave him a small smile and he leaned over and gave her a quick chaste kiss. 

"I'll be back soon. Okay?" He said close to her face. She just nodded sadly and let his hand go.

Mulder met the men just outside of the door and he closed it behind him to give Scully some privacy. 

"So, what happened? What do you know?" Mulder asked. They seemed hesitant to say much but given that he was an Agent they complied.

"The emergency services received a 911 call from Mrs Scully. She claimed that an 'alien' was trying to steal her Grandchildren. Of course they have to respond to all calls and given that the woman seemed so adamant they suspected some form of mental illness or brain damage so at the very least they wanted to get the children. When our officers arrived on the scene there were signs of an extreme struggle. Mrs Scully was unconcious at the time and although a search of the property was undertaken there was no sigh of the children."

"An alien?" He tried to keep his look neutral 

"Yes, she was obviously traumatised since the doctors can find no sign of stroke or brain damage. Was she sane as far as you're aware?" Mulder nodded at the man. What the hell had happened? Was it actually an extraterrestrial? Or had she simple been, as the officer said, traumatised and imagined it or made it up? 

"Yes, she's sane. I saw here earlier this evening and she was fine." He told them "do you have any leads on the children?" 

"We're currently conducting a full search of the local area and we've set up a ten mile road block incase someone tries to leave the area with them. We have dogs out with their scent to track aswell as helicopters to search for them. We don't have a lead on the assailant, however, but we have a forensics team at Mrs Scully's residence currently and we're hopeful they'll catch a print." 

Mulder took in a deep breath to steady himself. He couldn't take it all in. How had this happened? They'd hardly even begun and it was getting ripped away.

"We need to ask Miss Scully some questions but we can come back later to do it. It's just the usual questions that I'm sure you're both familiar with, being on the job. We need to know about anything out of the ordinary or any enemies. Things like that." He said to Mulder. His voice had become even kinder now since he could tell it was breaking Mulder. The other two officers didn't speak and Mulder got the distinct impression that he was the leader, perhaps higher in the chain of command.

"Tell you what, you know the score. If anything comes to mind can you ask her to call us. It might help us crack this and bring her kids home. Why don't you stay with her until the sketch artist shows" Mulder just gave a broken nod. 

"Yeah, uh, here's my card. Let me know if you find anything else out." He said and they swapped business cards. He'd normally insist upon going with them and investigating it himself but Scully needed him. He fought down the urge to find this so called alien and go back to her instead. He calmed himself for a moment and went back through to Mrs Scully's room.

She was laying with her head on her Mother's stomach and he could see silent tears gliding down her cheek. 

"Hey" He said softly and she startled away from her Mum to look at him. She wiped her tear stained cheeks and sat up in her seat.

"What happened? Did they tell you anything? Do they have any suspects?" She rattled out.

"It's okay. Try to calm down, okay. We'll find them, Scully" He told her and moved another chair to sit beside her.

"I have to" She said and nodded a little. 

"The officers want you to call if you have anything out of the ordinary to tell them." She just nodded again and leaned into him. 

They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Both terrified and feeling empty. She kept nuzzeling into him and he heard her breath hitching every so often. He loved that she was able to lean on him for support now. He'd wanted her to do it for so long. He wished she didn't have to though. That she had no reason to be this upset.

"I'm gonna go and get you something to eat" He told her, breaking the painful silence.

"I'm not hungry" She said and leaned to sit up properly.

"You have to eat something, Scully. Neither of us have had anything since the burgers at lunch" 

"I don't know if I could keep it down" She said and his heart broke for her. He hated this emptiness! This horrendous worry that coursed like poison though his veins. The worry wrapped like razor edged spiked wire around every cell of his body. 

"Can you try?" He asked quietly. He saw her nod but she didn't talk. Her face a mask of pain and heart wrenching fear as she kept her eyes on her Mother.

"I'll go grab us something. You okay to stay here?" He asked her. He didn't want her to feel like she was alone and he didn't really want to leave her. She had to eat though, she had been through so much. They both had. She nodded again.

He walked to the small cafeteria in the hospital quickly and got them some simple sandwiches and cans of juice. He felt tears prick at his eyes at the memory of Sophie trying to open her fruit shot. God, he was so scared. Why did this have to happen?

He reentered the hospital room and saw Scully had went back to her position on her Mother's stomach. He sat down beside her. 

"I need to do something!" She shouted and stood quickly. "I need to work, Mulder. We need to find them. I can't just sit here. I cant" She shouted and started walking from the room. He tossed the sandwiches and drinks to her vacated seat and went after her.

He caught her in the corridor. He grabbed her arm and she whipped around to face him. 

"We have to wait for her to wake up, Scully. There's nothing we can do right now." She opened her mouth to argue with him "They've said they'll call if anything comes up. You don't want her to wake up alone." He said. They'd have to wait for the sketch artist either way but it sounded better to make it all about her Mother. 

"Okay." She said on a half sob. She went back into her Morhers hospital room. Mulder followed her. He hated feeling so helpless! 

Scully sat on the chair and she'd moved the sandwich stuff to the side table. She gave him a weak smile. He had no idea how she felt right now. How badly must she be feeling? He felt terrible and they'd only been in his life for a day. She must feel so lost. He sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her again. She let herself fall into his embrace and he heard her sob again. He glanced down and seen her hand was holding her Mother's frail looking one. He kissed the crown of her head.

"I'm so scared" She confessed to him in a tiny voice.

"I know, honey, I know" He said and immediately chastised himself for calling her honey. She wasn't keen on it before. 

"I like that." She said and played with his fingers. Eventually linking their fingers together, laced through hers his hands seemed huge. Both of her hands full, she buried her face into his chest.

"What do you like?" He asked cautiously.

"Honey" She smiled. "No one's called me that before"

"You didn't like it earlier" he told her.

"I did, Mulder. That was the problem" She said and he felt her smile a tiny bit into his chest. 

He was about to say something back when Scully started and pulled away from him.

"Mum?" She called softly. Mulder looked down and saw Mrs Scully's fingers curling and flexing around Scully's. "Mum, It's Dana. You have to wake up. Mum?" She said and brushed her Mother's hair away from her forehead with her now free hand. Maggie's eyes fluttered and opened


	11. Chapter 11

Mrs Scully blinked slowly and grasped her daughters hand tightly. Her eyes looked blood shot and teary and Mulder could swear he'd seen the exact same thing sometime before. Scully's eyes flicked to Mulder and he ran for a doctor. Scully *was* a doctor but given her fragile state she was hardly in any position to help. Besides that, it was her Mother and he doubted she'd be able to keep any form of clinical focus.

The doctor came in instantly, Mulder in his wake. He seemed amazed that she'd woken up so quickly. He removed the tube and checked all of her vitals. He told her she'd have to keep the blood pressure cuff on. She didn't speak. 

Mulder had heard that being intubated could affect a person's vocal cords but he knew it shouldn't be a perminent situation. The sketch artist they were sending over would be zero help though if she couldn't even talk. Mulder wondered if he'd be any help anyway since whoever had the children might not be someone recognisable by them or be found on a database. He just had to hope the possible print would flash something up. 

The doctor left shortly after he'd done all his checks and told Mulder and Scully that her Mother was going to be fine. She just needed alot of rest. He advised Mrs Scully to try and get some sleep.

Scully took in a noticeable deep calming breath. At least one of the problems they faced had been fixed. If they just found the children now they could sort out everything and hopefully start to lead something resembling a normal life.

Maggie wheezed out about two minutes after the doctor left and gave her daughter a pointed look. She was trying to say something but struggling. It was clear to both Mulder and Scully.

"Don't try to talk yet, Mum. You're throat will be sore. You're okay. I'm here" Scully said. Maggie shook her head and looked frustrated, almost angry. Although Mulder couldn't understand who the anger was pointed it. It seemed to be mostly at herself. A frustration to communicate exactly what had happened to her beloved grandchildren that went so far beyond a exasperated anger it was painful to see.

Her struggle was to overcome the pain in her throat to simply tell them something, anything, that could help them find the children. Mulder knew what it was to feel that gnawing helplessness. He felt it right now but to see it so clearly in the expression of another, of Scully's dear Mother, made him feel something he couldn't exactly put into words 

"Waaaat" She said in a course whisper and Scully just looked confused. Mulder quickly got some water from the jug next to her bed. He'd been around hospital patients enough times that he could understand some of the broken language and although Scully was a doctor she tended to be focused on situations, staying action oriented on her turf whereas Mulder could pay attention to the subtle pleas and words of the sick. They sat her bed up for a moment to let her sip a tiny bit of the soothing liquid.

"You can't stay elevated incase your blood pressure destabilises" Scully told her softly and slowly lowered the bed again. Maggie just kept swallowing convulsively. She looked so fragile laying there, her skin ashen. Her mouth moved but Mulder couldn't hear her. 

Scully moved her head towards her mouth to hear her broken whisper. "Sosh..." She swallowed again. Scully looked at Mulder in confusion, hoping he could decipher what she could not. What was her Mum trying to say? He just gave her a confused look and gently shook his head. He had no clue what that meant. Sometimes patients that had been in what was clearly a traumatic circumstance didn't make any sense, they weren't really aware and she could be saying anything. 

"It's okay, Mum. Try and get some rest. They're going to send a sketch artist once you're ready. Just rest." Scully told her Mother and brushed her hair away from her forehead again. Her Mother's eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Scully sobbed a little again and wrapped her arms around her small waist, hugging herself. She looked like she was in physical pain. 

"Lats let her sleep" He said and felt like he'd been plunged into an icy bath, that's what he'd said to her when Sophie was napping. He mentally shocked himself for being so stupid. Thinking of how it had felt to feel like part of a family and to have it torn away from him before he'd even had the chance to really have it was excruciating. Scully didn't seem to notice what he'd said though. 

"Okay" She said on a breath and turned her weary tear stained face towards him. She walked briskly out the door. She seemed glad to be doing something, even though it was just walking out. The option to get lost in her thoughts abating if only for a moment. Mulder grabbed the sandwich stuff and followed her out the door. Everything felt so disjointed and painful. He kept asking a God he didn't believe in why this had happened to her. To *them*.

Scully was sitting on a row of seats just outside of Maggie's room. He silently passed her the tuna salad sandwich to eat but she just fiddled with the packaging and made no effort to open it. He knew how she felt, he didn't feel much like eating either and placed his sandwich on an empty seat. 

"What the hell happened, Mulder?" She said but he knew she wasn't really asking him. She was as confused by it all as he was. He wished he had an answer for her. She tossed her unopened sandwich next to his.

"I'm not sure, honey. They didn't tell me much." He seriously didn't want to tell her that Maggie had said it was an *alien*. Scully most definitely wouldn't believe him and she'd probably get pissed at him. Her refusal to believe in such things even after being witness to many supernatural things should be legendary. He couldn't hold things back from her though, no matter how much he feared her disbelief and anger.

Hell she'd suffered through having cancer and she still didn't believe. She'd even seen an alien! You could lead a horse to water, as the saying went. "She, uh, said that an alien was trying to steal her Grandchildren" Scully pulled her head back so it touched the wall behind her. Her eyebrow's rising in a classic Scully look of disbelief.

"She wasn't herself." She said dismissively. "I remember when, when Pfaster had me I saw his face change. It sort of, morphed into all these other faces and at one point I swear he appeared as a demon. What I mean is that... a stressful event like this can cause you to think and often see things that aren't true." She tried to explain to him. "It doesn't mean it was extraterrestrial." She rolled her eyes. "You know, I once read that 'belief in supernatural evil is not nessasary, man alone is quite capable of every wickedness.' I think that's true. SomeONE has them, Mulder It doesn't help now though" She told him and ended with a bitter kind of laugh. He just nodded. He never thought he'd be in this situation, never. When Scully had been abducted he'd felt almost as bad as he did now but this was even worse. Hr didnt know there could be a pain that was worse then what he'd felt back then. He had so much more to lose this time. His family. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that's how he felt now. They were all his. His love, his children, his *life*. They had to find them!

Mulder's cell phone rang. 

"Mulder" He answered. He felt Scully start shaking at his side with silent tears again. He glanced over and she was crouched over her knees cuddling her stomach.

"Agent Mulder, Im afraid I dont have much in the way of good news but I wanted to keep you informed of everything. We found a print but they're clearly not a previous offender so it's not on IAFIS. I'm so sorry but the dogs haven't found anything either. Has Miss Scully spoken of any enemies?" 

"No, none. Has there been any development at all?" Mulder asked. He didn't even have to double check with her about her not having enemies, he knew Scully didn't have any. She'd have already told him if she did. No personal enemies anyway and if They wanted to hurt her in some way They'd have been in contact already.

"I'm sorry but we're struggling to find anything to go by. There have been no witnesses what so ever. We've contacted the social care system but since they are now Miss Scully's adoptive children they have sealed all record's."

"Adoptive?" Mulder interrupted.

"Yes sir, It'll take a few hours to find anything out about their pasts because of that. Failing anything Miss Scully can tell us we will have to assume it's been a stranger abduction... I don't need to tell you how much more difficult that makes things... Perhaps there is an old disgruntled family member. We understand their Mother committed suicide and our hope is to find anything out from old family members once the records are opened. Can you ask Miss Scully if she knows anything at all about the children from thier previous home life's and call me back?" 

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thank you" Mulder told him and hung up. He felt so confused.

"You adopted them? Why is the social worker still coming out?" He said in a rushed voice. He couldn't understand why she was so worried about them being taken by the court's or concerning herself with the 'partner' the will called for. Or was she lying to him? That thought left as quickly as it came. Scully didn't lie and certainly not to him.

"No. I... their not *officially* mine yet. It's a trial foster until the social worker deems it a stable environment and then I can put forward an application to adopt them. Mrs Wilson explained it to me although I can't remember the exact details on my life right now" She told him. She couldn't understand why he thought they were officially adopted. Her brain couldn't process things with everything going on. He sat dumb struck. Why did the officer have a different record? His mind struggled with the pieces for a second.

"You need to call the social service department, *now*. Find out the exact status of the children's foster with you. I'm going to call back that officer." He rushed out and stood up. 

 

"Muld..." She started to speak through her drying tears and stood up. Why was he so panicked? She stared at him for a split second and then realised that she *knew* that look, she'd seen it a thousand times before. He was on the trail of something! 

She both loved and hated this aspect of him. His brilliant mind racing to make connection's neither she nor anyone else could make. On most days it evoked a fierce jealousy in her that he had an ability she just couldn't grasp, at this moment she was overwhelmingly glad he had such a quick mind.

"Now, Scully!" He shouted. He was onto something, he knew he was.

"It's agent Mulder" He said when the officer picked up. He only realised when he answered with his name, Officer Siffer, that he hafn't even bothered asking before. It seemed pretty unimportant at the time but now he felt a tiny amount of guilt.

"Anything?" Siffer asked. 

"No. I mean, maybe. What *exactly* did they say to you at the social working department?" Mulder asked.

"Just what I told you, Agent Mulder. They're going to get back to me as soon as possible with any other information" Siffer said. He sounded confused.

"They're not adopted yet. Not as far as Miss Scully is aware. The social worker who comes out told her that she was in a kind of assessment period and just fostering." 

"Im not sure where she's been getting her information but the woman on the phone certainly had all the relevant documentation. That's why the case was sealed. Apparently they're waiting for DNA to change some of the documents but it's definitely official. Who is the social worker?" Siffer asked, not quite catching on. 

"Mrs Wilson. Do me a favour and run the print through the government database" Mulder said.

"I don't see how that..." Siffer started.

"Just do it" Mulder told him in a voice that welcomed no argument.

"Will do" Siffer told him and hung up.

Mulder's eager mind rushed to keep making connections that others couldn't. Luckily when anyone was employed by the government they got their prints taken and the social work department was part of the United States government. She'd be in there, Mulder knew it. 

She had them! Mrs Wilson had his children! She had to have them. What the hell was she playing at by coming to Scully's house and pretending to investigate her ability to be a parent. What the fuck was her deal?! 

"They said they're mine. I have sole custody of them. They're my adoptive children" Scully stuttered out in utter shock as soon as she got off of her phone. She wobbled a little on her feet. He quickly guided her by the elbow to the seats. "I don't understand, Mulder." She told him quietly.

"I'm not exactly sure either but they're officially yours and I think that Mrs Wil..." the ringing of his phone cut him off. 

"Was it there?" Mulder asked. He didn't even bother answering the call properly. He knew who it would be and he felt like even saying his name was wasted time.

"Yes, but... Nothing else was. All her documents have been wiped. What the hell is going on here?" He asked and Mulder could hear the confusion in his voice. 

"She has them! Mrs Wilson. She's got the children. Look, I'm coming out there. Where are you?" Mulder said. His heart was hammering.

"We're at Mrs Scully's. It's ground zero right now. See you when you get here." Siffer said and disconnected the call.

"Mulder?" Scully asked when he pulled the phone away from his ear. 

"They found Mrs Wilson's print at your Mum's house. I think that's what she was trying to say. 'Sosh' Social worker. I'm gonna go and help the local P.D. You stay with your Mum okay." He told her. She seemed terrified. As if she'd already lost too much and the though of being without Mulder was almost too much to bare. "I'll be back, I promise" He told her and pulled her into a tight cuddle. 

"No" She said. It was a mere whisper almost lost in his chest but he could still hear the determination in her muffled voice. "I won't let you go alone"


	12. Chapter 12

They made it to Mrs Scully's house. It was eery and dank looking. 

"Wait here" Mulder told Scully. Something was setting his hairs on end. Something wasn't right. He got out of the car and heard Scully right behind him. He should have known that she wouldn't wait for him.

"RUN!!! It's a fucking alien. They're dead! They're all fucking *dead*" screamed a man as he ran blindly into the wooded area around Mrs Scully's home near Mulder. His eye's were streaming with blood, running in rivers, like tears down his cheeks. He clutched at them desperately as if trying to shield them from something.

"Scully. Call for help." Mulder shouted and turned to the man. "Hey, what's happening. What happened to you" They man screamed, blood frothing out of his mouth like some kind of sickening Halloween statue. Bubbling and flowing from his nose too. He took a strange marionette like step. Gave a confused puff of air and hit the floor like a stone. His heavy dead weight slamming into the earth. 

"Oh my God" Scully said on an exhale and rushed to the man. Her small fingers went to the pulse point at his neck as she knelt down beside him. "He'd dead" She was still on the phone and talking animatedly with someone. Mulder couldn't hear her properly. The shock of everything stealing some of his senses. 

Mulder and Scully ran towards the house. More screaming. Bodies littering the floor, sprawled out like puppets. Limbs at the wrong angles. Their gun's drawn in an attempt to chase off something. They each had one thing in common. They're eyes.

Their eyes were all bloody and painfully full looking, bulging. Some of the bodies had their noses burnt as if they had breathed in something toxic. 

"What the hell happened, Mulder?" Scully asked him but he shushed her. Fear and adrenaline pulsing through him. What the hell had happened here? There were at least ten bodies littering the hallway.

"Do not worry. I can hear you" came an eerily calm sickening voice. One that sounded like the accumulation of many voices. "Come on through. Sophie is just *dying* to see you both" came the sickeningly sweet tormenting voice from the livingroom. Scully ran straight through. No care for her own safety. Mulder followed. Gun in hand although he sensed there was no point. 

Mulder took in the sight quickly. Sophie lay unconscious with a very clearly broken arm, it bent the wrong way and made him feel sick. Aaron sat in his car seat, sleeping happily. 

Scully rushed forward to Mrs Wilson or whoever she really was. She punched her once, hard and fast. Mrs Wilson's face twisted into a cruel smirk. The punch clearly having no effect on her.

"How dare you! How dare you take my children. I'll kill you!" Scully screamed. Throwing more blows at the woman. Mrs Wilson just laughed and dodged most of them. There was something carnal about hitting someone rather than using a weapon. Guttural and satisfying. 

Mulder rushed to Sophie and was surprised the woman didn't stop him. Scully got bored of hitting her after she'd got in a few bone crunching punched and kicks. She drew her gun.

"No, Scully. Don't shoot." Mulder yelled at her. "She's like the bounty hunter. Do NOT shoot her" The woman cackled, the cruel sound wafting the air. Scully pulled up short, stunned. 

"Oh, come now, Miss Scully, don't you want to end up like your little friends?" She laughed again. Clearly indicating that she had somehow killed the fallen men and women.

"What are you?!" Scully screamed at her.

Mulder tried to pick up Sophie and she whimpered and clutched her arm, coming around.

"Take that thing out of here won't you? Her screaming is quite irritating" Mrs Wilson told Mulder. 

He quickly picked her up and ran her outside to put safely in the car. Back up was coming, he reminded himself. They'd be safe. Help was coming.

"What the fuck are you?!" Scully screamed again at the woman.

"I'm someone who has become incredibly bored of this situation" She cackled again. "Perhaps you can liven up the party?" She said menicingly and backhanded Scully. 

The force of the hit threw her across the room, pain exploding over her whole face. Her arm hit the wall with a sickening snap. Broken. The woman laughed, high and cold. If Scully's medical degree stood for nothing she'd still know it was broken by the searing pain. She didn't want to glance down. Didn't want to chance seeing how bad it was. She grabbed at it on impulse as she slid to the floor, something warm and wet flooded over her fingers. She hauled up her sleeve and where she expected to feel her own silky skin she felt smooth bone. A sharp sticking out bit at the end had split her flesh. It had ripped and tattered like a cheap bit of fabric. Her head spun and the woman kept laughing. Blackness covering her and her stomach rolled. Bone and blood outside of her, wrong!

She's sure she passed out for a second because the next thing she knew Mulder was back in the room, holding an odd silver spike. 

Mulder had grabbed the weapons his mother had hidden in a lamp. He kept it in the glove box at all times, just incase. 

Mrs Wilson saw it glint in the moon light and rushed for him. Scully could see very little from where she lay, cold and vulnerable on the floor. She heard Mrs Wilson's scream and Mulder's panting. A lot of scuffling and eventually saw Mulder's face near her's. She noted in an almost dreamy fashion that there was vomit on her trousers. She couldn't remember when she'd thrown up. 

"It's ok. You're going to be okay, honey" He kissed her forehead tenderly. She felt an odd wish to laugh. She had thrown up. How silly! She was an M.D for God's sake. She heard sirens in the distance and gave in once again to the inviting darkness


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this had taken forever to get posted. I've had very little Internet for the past month :-O and all the access I've had has been spent on social media because incase anyone has been living in the moon... the X files season 11 has started filming :-D :-D :-D

Scully woke up dazed and confused. Mulder's face swam into view. He looked dishevelled and badly beaten. She frowned deeply, confused at what had happened. How had he got in that state and why was she back in a damn hospital?

"Hey you, how're you feeling?" He asked. As soon as the words came out of his mouth she remembered being hit by Mrs Wilson and breaking her arm. Oww! Her arm.

"My arm hurts" She said in a small whispered voice.

"I know. Do you want some more morphine?" He asked. She shook her head. She'd had to take a lot of Morphine due to her cancer and she hated it! Couldn't stand the floating feeling of being out of reality.

"The children?!" She said with a start and went to get out of bed.

"Hey, woah, it's okay. They're fine, Scully. Sophie asleep in the next room and Aaron's right here" He smiled and lifted a grumpy baby boy up. He had clearly been enjoying sitting in his car seat at Mulder's feet.

When he saw Scully his face brightened and he squirmed in the seat, trying to get to her. 

Scully raised her arms for him instinctively and winced painfully. The room spun. 

"Take it easy, I've got him. Here we go" Mulder told her and unclipped Aaron from the seat. He liften the now wriggling baby and moved so he could hold Aaron to her. Keeping the babies weight on himself but letting him close enough so they could feel each other.

"You can put him on me. Just not near my arm" She told Mulder, gazing at her baby boy. She had missed hus light weight on her. Mulder relaxed his hold so that Aaron was laying on Scully's chest. 

"What the hell happened Mulder?" Scully asked after she'd nuzzled the baby's soft hair for a moment.

"Why don't you just rest. We can talk about it all later" He told her.

"No, Mulder. Now." She gave him her typical pointed look, the 'I mean business' one. He'd seen it many times and knew it was a fruitless pursuit to convince her to drop it.

"The thing... the woman you knew as Mrs Wilson broke into your mother's home intent on stealing the children. Your mother tried to stop her. In the stuggle your mother cut the things arm. That's what was wrong with her eyes and throat. Remember that 'blood' burnt straight through your shoe" Scully nodded, listening intently to him. "She managed to call 911 but it took off with the children. Nearest I can tell it thought they were some kind of hybrids. The P.D pulled up any records they could find on Miss Smith and from the looks of it, it was just a standard IVF procedure with donor eggs. No alien sperm." At this he grinned. She let out what seemed to be a relieved huff of air, puffing over Aaron's head who snuggled deeply into Scully's breasts. "And the social services are going to fax over the adoption paper work for confirmation on Monday. I figured you'd want to see them... they're really your's, honey" He beamed at her.

"Ours" She said with a slow blink and a deep gaze at him. He frowned in question. 

"They're *ours*, Mulder." She said in a sleepy voice.

The energy of talking seemed to be taking a lot out of Scully as her blinks became slower. She had an easy smile on her face. Mulder felt himself smiling back at her. Overwhelmed all over again at how lucky he was. 'They're ours' she'd really said it. He was a dad. A Dad! He was truely part of an incredible family. He had felt like one before but constantly tried to chase away the emotion. Now she had confirmed it, had welcomed him into a family. Into her family! He smiled down at Scully, unable yo keep the blissful smile off his face. Scully and Aaron eventually drifted off to sleep. Mulder gently moved Aaron back to his car seat, a little reluctant to pull him from his Mother but knowing neither of them would rest properly otherwise. He shushed Aaron soothingly as he grumbled and went through with him to check on Sophie. The baby fell asleep again before he had even reached her door.

He was overcome with gratitude, so grateful to have his family back that he could hardly think straight. He wished Scully and Sophie were in the same room so he could watch over them both. Still, the knowledge that his family were all under one roof made him happier than he thought he ever could be. He entered her room. He was going to check on... he mentally calmed himself as he thought the words... his daughter! 

Sophie was exactly the same as when he'd left her. Sleeping with her bright pink cast on. The staff had covered the usual white with pink gauze like material in an effort to cheer the little girl up. She had woken up and cried for her Mummy when their backup arrived and had stayed awake until she was put in her hospital bed. She calmed a little back at the house when Mulder soothed her but got even more upset when she saw an unconscious Scully being put into the back of an abulance. She calmed again when she got to go in the same abulance and she hadn't cried since then, Mulder had managed to convince her everything was going to be fine. She hadn't really told Mulder anything about their kidnapping. She just said that Mrs Wilson wasn't a nice lady and she got mad at Sophie and hit her when she found out they 'weren't what she thought'. 

Mulder realised then that Mrs Wilson had taken them hoping the children were indeed some kind of hybrid aliens. When she found out they weren't she'd brought them back rather than waste any more time or energy on them. 

Mulder flopped into the seat at Sophie's bedside, intending on just watching her sleep. The emotions and adrenaline had calmed though and left him hollow and exhausted. He felt badly for baby Aaron that he was sleeping in his car seat but he could think of no way to remedy it. He started to nod off himself, feeling his body pulling him, somewhat unwillingly, into sleep.

Mulder woke up to an irritating tickling on his nose. He blinked slowly awake to see Sophie's round face smiling at him. She quickly pulled away her hand from tickling his nose, grinning mischievously. She'd leaned over from her bed but was still laying on it.

"Muller, why is you sleeping on la chair?" She gave him a very Scully like look, clearly finding him amusing.

"I was looking after you" He smiled at her. "I must have dozed off. How are you feeling, Princess?" He tucked in her covers around her. He couldn't take the smile off his face. Just seeing her made him feel wonderful. His prayers were answered a million times over.

"My arm is hurts. Where's Mummy?" She asked him, untucking her covers.

"She's in the room next door. She's just..." 

"I is want see her!" She said loudly, demanding. 

"I think she's sleeping. She's got a sore arm too" it was only around 6am so he was positive that she'd still be asleep. 

"I can be really shh. I won't wakes her up" Her bottom lip trembled a little. Mulder couldn't say no to her. She obviously just wanted to see her mother after such a terrifying experience. 

"Okay, but we have to be very very quiet." She hoped quickly down off the bed. Her childrens hospital gown still dwarfing her tiny frame. If she had to stay another night he'd go home and get her some pyjamas. She toddled to the door, her face beaming. Mulder grabbed Aaron's seat and followed her out the door. Sophie paused, not too sure where to go. The hospital was a little scary and unfamiliar to her. Mulder strode to her side and took the hand of her good arm. Together they walked into Scully's room.


	14. Chapter 14

Sophie got up on her exaggerated tip toes, reminding Mulder of the first morning he'd spent with his new family. He ducked his head for a moment to contain himself. When he looked up, to his horror, Sophie was scrambling up the side of Scully's bed.

"Sophie, no" He whispered out harshly at her. Her face fell but she plowed on regardless. Snuggling into her mum when she reached the top of the bed. Scully hummed happily and smiled in her sleep. Mulder strode silently over to her. Intent on taking her away from Scully. She needed some good uninterrupted rest.

"Sophie. Get down down right now. Your mummy needs to sleep" He scolded her. He felt badly for giving her a row about it. God knows he was no stranger to the pull Scully had on people and the little girl just wanted her Mummy. Sophie clutched to Scully, her bottom lip sticking out and a deep, sad, frown on her face.

"'S okay. 'M wake" came Scully's voice softly. She leaned her head down and kissed the crown of Sophie's head. 

"I knowed you'd be otay, Mummy!" Sophie practically shouted.

"Oh, not so loud baby. Mummy's still a little sleepy" Scully told her moving her head to the side and away from Sophie's voice.

"I'm sorry Scully. She wanted to see you and... we can come back later" Mulder told her. 

"No" Both Scully and Sophie said in unison. Then they sniggered a little to each other. 

"It's fine, Mulder. I'd kill for some coffee though if you're desperate to leave" She grinned at him. A tease in her voice. The joy was practically radiating off of her face. Even with a broken arm he'd never seen her more happy. He chuckled a little. 

"Leave Aaron here. Sophie can help me if I need two arms." She turned to Sophie "can't you baby" the girl beamed and nodded vigorously. Mulder smiled at the two of them and placed Aaron in his car seat next to her hospital bed. 

Mulder turned to leave a little hesitantly. How could he leave his family, even for a few moments. The last time he'd been away from Sophie and aaron all hell had broken loose. Granted this situation was entirely different but his treacherous mind wouldn't let him stop the connction. 

"It's ok, Mulder. We're all ok now" Scully said. Using the uncanny ability she seemed to have to read his mind. He turned and saw her giving him a reassuring look. 

His mind stopped grabbing at the fearful conection and just marveled at how gorgeous she looked, how happy. The picture of the three of them set his heart pounding.

His son snoozing happily, his daughter snuggling into the love of his life. He know in that instant that Scully was right, as she tended to be, they were all ok now. Whatever life through at them, they'd always be ok. He had his family


End file.
